Zinnia
by SaturnXK
Summary: Twenty-nine year old Nara Shikamaru is skilled and more than capable of defending himself, so when given a mission to eliminate a missing-nin, he isn't troubled. It's easy; he's done it before. But then, things are not always what they seem. In a new world, the ones called wizards challenge his definition of 'heart', and enemies behind enemies mock him from the shadows. –Slight AU.
1. Congratulations

Welcome, everyone, and to my old readers, welcome back ^^

So, just a note: I have absolutely no idea about the specifics regarding Asuma and Kurenai's child, so I'm going with female, and name shall be Takara. If Kishimoto reveals that stuff later on (which I'm sure he will) I'll come back and change it. Also, Goro, Hibiki, Takara and any other OCs, as you will meet later on in this chapter, will only be minor characters, and will not be playing a big part in this story. I just needed some background characters, alright?

Also, Shikamaru is twenty-nine years old in this fic, and he's a jounin sensei.

Chapter One: Congratulations

* * *

><p>"Congratulations."<p>

Shikamaru smiled faintly down at his genin team, hands shoved in his pocket, his back resting against the wall of the stadium. The roar of the crowd was slightly duller on this side of the arena, the audience screaming their approval for the five new chunin from Konoha.

It was four in the afternoon, bright and clear, and his students had just bypassed a celebratory milestone. It suddenly struck him how quickly they were growing; he had taken them in two years ago, and now suddenly they were almost outgrowing him. He took a moment to survey his sweaty, tired, but extremely delighted kids.

There was Goro. He was tough, arrogant and very, very brash, and despite his average exterior, he specialised in taijutsu, and was terrible at genjutsu. Goro reminded Shikamaru of Naruto, at times. He would rush into things blindly, but unlike the blonde Hokage, he, weird though it may seem, was extremely, almost over-the-top tactful. He could read moods like a book, often knowing exactly how a person was feeling and what to say in an awkward situation. Goro had a mop of messy black hair that had been harshly chopped, resulting in an uneven hairstyle–something he didn't give a damn about–and he was in the habit of picking fights with Hibiki.

Hibiki was a member of the Hyuuga main branch family. His father, Hyuuga Hiroshi, was a cousin to Hyuuga Hinata, and Hinata had asked Shikamaru to look after him. Naturally, the lazy sensei had given her his word. Oddly enough, unlike the other Hyuuga members, Hibiki was a huge hothead. He would respond to Goro's taunts with as much enthusiasm as the boy himself, and Shikamaru had had to pay many times for the damage his team had caused at the local barbeque restaurant that they so often went to. Hibiki had the standard long, silky brown hair tied up into a loose ponytail, the white Byakugan eyes and unblemished skin.

Finally, Sarutobi Takara, the child of Sarutobi Asuma and Yuhi Kurenai. She looked mainly like her mother: long wavy strands of brown hair and the unusual red eyes. However, she had inherited her father's easy smiles and shogi-loving ways; she had been Shikamaru's partner for a long while now, and while she had never won, she always told him, "Next time, Shika-sensei. Next time, you're dead." She was both girly and strong at the same time; in many ways, she was like Haruno Sakura, a kunoichi whom Takara idolized. Off missions, Takara would go shopping, wear makeup and act like any other female her age, but on missions… well, she was frightening enough to even shut Hibiki and Goro up in one of their 'competitions', something that was immensely hard to do.

Together, including Shikamaru, they made up Team Six. Team Six had gained a reputation for being the most unpredictable of groups. Sometimes, they would pass missions with outstanding results, and other times, fail miserably. Sometimes they would wreak havoc to the village, and other times they would help diligently with its cleanup.

"Shika-sensei! We passed! We passed!" Takara sang, dancing about with joy.

"We passed!" Goro shouted.

"We passed!" Hibiki echoed, grinning widely. Shikamaru chuckled lightly.

"Yes," he said, surveying his team proudly, "you passed."

After Naruto had announced the new chunin, Team Six had screamed and jumped on Shikamaru, knocking him down to the ground. As a teacher, he was so proud, but tried to remind them to not get it into their heads. His warning went unnoticed, and he vowed to knock it into their brains at a later date.

They were now walking to the barbeque restaurant as was tradition from Shikamaru's own days as Asuma's student, not wanting to loiter around the stadium like the other genin-turned-chunin.

"My treat," said Shikamaru, as his team bounced along. Goro whooped and scurried ahead, challenging Hibiki to a race, which the Hyuuga immediately started. Shikamaru was left with Takara as the two stared fondly at their retreating backs.

"Hey, Shika-sensei," said Takara, nudging her teacher gently. Shikamaru, who had his head raised to the sky, simply said, "Hm?"

His tone was bored, his face sleepy, but Takara had spent enough time around Shikamaru to know that he was listening.

"When's Temari-sensei coming back?"

Unlike Goro, Takara had absolutely no tact whatsoever. Temari was still a sore subject for him, and though her skills of delicacy were low, Takara knew she had said something wrong.

"Sorry, sensei. I wasn't thinking," Takara mumbled, brushing brown hair out of her eyes. "I just… miss her…" Shikamaru exhaled.

"It's alright," Shikamaru sighed, staring at the clouds almost wistfully, "I miss her too."

"Then why isn't she coming back?" Takara pressed. Shikamaru closed his eyes briefly and then opened them again, seemingly looking at the other side of the street, where kids hopped around on rooftops playing 'Ninja' and dogs tugged excitedly on their owners' leashes. Kiba and Akamaru bounded past, stirring up dust and leaves, and the Inuzuka nin barely managed to shout out a greeting before they were out of sight. Shikamaru's lips curved up at the sight of his friend, but then it promptly slipped off his face.

"She's just… not," said Shikamaru. He didn't want to elaborate.

"But–"

"Takara, enough," said Shikamaru sharply. There was a dangerous note in his voice, a hint of a warning. It wasn't often that Shikamaru got angry at her, but Takara had seen him irritated once before and concluded that she didn't want to be on the receiving end.

"Sorry."

* * *

><p>After eating at the restaurant, Shikamaru's students all went back to their own families to report their upgrade in status. He followed Takara back to her place, intending to visit Kurenai.<p>

"Mum!" Takara yelled as she opened the door. She had an apartment a level below Shikamaru; he had moved out of the family house years ago.

Kurenai glanced up from where she was reading the newspaper. After giving birth to Takara she had immediately started training to become a kunoichi again, something that had worried Shikamaru, but Kurenai had pulled through. Now, she was a regular Konoha ninja.

"Taka," said Kurenai, calling her daughter her old nickname. Shikamaru privately thought that it fit; Takara was one of the best weapons handlers he had seen in her age group, able to hit targets from scarily long distances. Her taijutsu was awful, though… Maybe he should work on that with her later on.

"I'm a chunin!" Takara said excitedly. Kurenai's eyes lit up.

"Really? I'm so proud of you," said Kurenai, scooping her up into a hug. "I'm so sorry I couldn't be there though." After settling down, talking and exchanging news, Takara went to take a shower and Kurenai finally turned her attention to Shikamaru, who had been sitting quietly in the corner, not wanting to break the family joy.

"Shikamaru-kun," said Kurenai. There was a gentle, warm smile on her face. Her red eyes twinkled. "Thank you so much."

"Hm? What for?" Shikamaru asked lazily. "It was troublesome."

Kurenai rolled her eyes. "For taking care of my daughter."

"I promised, didn't I?"

Kurenai groaned. "You're impossible."

Before Shikamaru could say anything, an ANBU appeared with a _poof_ at the window, expertly avoiding crushing Kurenai's pretty little potted plants. A painted porcelain mask glared at the two jounin, but Shikamaru lifted up a hand and said, "Yo, Neji. What's up?"

"Nara-san," said Neji formally, ignoring his friend's antics, "Hokage-sama requests a meeting with you in half an hour."

"Stop calling me 'Nara-san'," said Shikamaru irritably. "It sounds so troublesome."

Neji didn't say a word, but Shikamaru could practically _feel _the smirk that he was emitting before he disappeared into another cloud of smoke.

"I still can't believe Neji-kun made it into ANBU," said Kurenai admirably. Shikamaru shrugged.

"You've been saying that for the last eleven years," Shikamaru said dryly. "He's been in ANBU since he was eighteen."

"Well, time flies," said Kurenai, picking up her cup of tea. Shikamaru headed for the door.

"It sure does."

* * *

><p><em>This is so annoying, <em>Shikamaru thought as he rested on his favourite bench, _all the clouds are gone! Now I have to move, but I really don't want to. But if I don't move, then I'll be late for the meeting with Naruto. But seriously, my legs feel like jelly. I could force them to move, but then they'll hurt. Some things are just so troublesome…_

With a loud sigh that clearly conveyed his feeling, Shikamaru got to his feet and made his way towards the Hokage Tower. He spotted Chouji and his own team of genin leaving the village gates.

_Must be going on a mission, _Shikamaru thought. He waved at his oldest friend, who waved back, and then Shikamaru, being distracted, bumped into someone.

Well, he _would _have, but his ninja skills didn't allow for something like that to happen. Instead, he veered off to the left, narrowly avoiding the other person.

"Shika," said Ino in surprise. She was laden with shopping bags that were filled with groceries. Ino, now also a jounin instructor of her own team, hadn't changed much since her youth. She still had her long blonde hair and fringe, wore purple clothes and retained her bubbly personality. But now, having married Kiba, had two kids, a ten-year-old girl named Kioko and a son called Rai–who was on the verge of graduating the Academy–and been on many missions, she was no longer the flirt she used to be. Part of this was because of the ugly, lengthy scar–which used to be red, but had now faded to white–that ran from the side of her right shoulder blade, curving over her collarbone, running across the base of her neck and disappearing into her clothes. Shikamaru knew that it went between her breasts and ended at the top of her stomach. He had been with her on the mission when she had received it. It had been terrifying, the amount of blood that had been pumping out…

"Hey, Ino," Shikamaru said. "Going back home?"

Ino nodded. "Yup." Then she frowned. "The landlord has raised the rent again. We can barely afford it. Kiba and I are thinking about just getting our own house soon. Plus it'll give Rai and Kioko some room to run around. How 'bout you?"

"Off to see Naruto," said Shikamaru. "He requested a meeting with me... or something like that."

"Alright, well, I won't hold you up. See you later," said Ino cheerfully.

Shikamaru went along on his way, passing through the ninja that guarded the door of the Hokage Tower and going up the many flights of stairs. Finally, coming to a stop in front of the door that led to the Hokage's office, Shikamaru dithered slightly, thinking that he really, _really _didn't want to do this. His gut told him that Naruto wasn't going to be giving Shikamaru any good news.

"Oi, Shikamaru! You lazy bastard, where have you been?" came a voice from the other side. Shikamaru mentally groaned, opened the door and stepped inside.

It was a wonder that Naruto hadn't painted the entire Tower bright orange, but it may have something to do with a certain, shy Hyuuga girl who had captured Naruto's heart long ago. Nevertheless, Naruto had managed to get–though Shikamaru had no idea how–an orange bookshelf, orange windowsills, orange picture frames, orange seats, orange paper, and, to the horror of visiting ninja from other Villages and to the embarrassment of his own people, orange carpet.

Naruto, the sixth Hokage, was at his desk, signing paperwork with a grimace to his face. Over the years, his hair had grown longer, so it now rivalled the length of his father, Namikaze Minato. Naruto still had his whiskers, his loud mouth and his hyperactive-ness, but ever since becoming Hokage, he had toned down a little in his troublemaking. He set down his brush and sat facing Shikamaru with a huge smile on his face.

_Uh oh._

Shikamaru knew that look. It was different from his usual blinding smile. This smile meant that Naruto was up to something, something that Shikamaru had no desire to be part of. The jounin started to back out the office warily, but the ANBU outside the door came in and they took his arms, one on each side, dragged him forward and dumped him on the chair facing the Hokage.

Naruto pouted. "I had a feeling that you would act like this the moment you saw me, so the ANBU knew exactly what to do."

The ANBU bowed and went back out to their posts.

"Naruto, what's going on?" asked Shikamaru, knowing he couldn't escape. Naruto hadn't become Hokage for nothing.

"Nothing's going on, Shika~!" Naruto said in that jolly tone of his that tested Shikamaru's urge to bolt out the door. "I only have a mission for you!"

"What mission?" Shikamaru asked cautiously. Naruto reached into his drawer and pulled out a file.

"Here," said Naruto. Shikamaru blinked. Naruto's tone had changed; it had become serious and almost commanding, and the smile was gone from his face. Shikamaru immediately became solemn, and he took the folder and flipped it open.

_Mission assigned to _Nara Shikamaru

_Rank: B–A_

_Aim: to track down and eliminate the Konoha missing-nin Ohayashi Kako_

_Mission pay: 250 000 ryo_

_Estimated time: not determined_

_Team: not determined_

Below, there was a picture of Ohayashi Kako, along with her statistics, personal history and medical history.

_Name: Ohayashi Kako_

_Birth date: August 21st_

_Age: 25_

_Gender: female_

_Family:  
>Ohayashi Hiro; father–deceased<br>__Ohayashi Minako; mother–deceased__  
><em>_Ohayashi Hayato; younger brother–genin in the Academy__  
><em>

Her medical history was small.

_Left knee injury; now walks with a limp–received on a mission to Otogakure  
><em>_Able to take solider pills__  
><em>

Then there were some graphs depicting her skills and whatnot.

Shikamaru lifted his eyes from the pages and glanced back to Naruto, who was watching him intently.

"Do you accept?" asked Naruto. Shikamaru heaved a sigh.

"No, I do not accept."

"You're running out of money, Shikamaru."

"… Fine."

Naruto leaned back into his chair, a pleased expression on his face. "Congratulations. Yay. Let's celebrate. Nara Shikamaru is finally accepting a mission."

"Shut up, Naruto, and stop overdoing it," said Shikamaru. "You know I've had a genin team to take care of."

Naruto waved that bit of information away.

"So… where exactly _is_ Kako?" asked Shikamaru. "It doesn't say."

Naruto twitched uncomfortably. Shikamaru's eyes immediately picked this out.

"Naruto…"

"Um…"

"Naruto."

"Well, you see…"

"I'm getting worried."

"Haha–" Naruto fidgeted nervously "–well, the thing is… Kako isn't exactly… uh… here…"

"What do you mean?"

"She's… ah… _left _the Shinobi Nations…"

"What do you mean _left_?"

"She's gone Out."

"She's gone–oh."

The last word was a word of understanding from Shikamaru, and he buried his face into his hands.

"She's gone Out," Shikamaru repeated into his palms, muffling his speech. He didn't even have to look up to know that Naruto was bobbing his head sheepishly in agreement. "Where?"

"Um… well, someplace called the wizarding world," said Naruto. His voice was brisk again and Shikamaru raised his head. Naruto and his mood swings. "We have very little information on it; it's been Hidden from us as well."

"How?" asked Shikamaru. "Only we're Hidden, right?"

A few thousand years ago, a large group of people had started showing strange performances of power. Ordinary humans feared them and after a long time of bloodshed, the ones with power had cut themselves off from the rest of the world, enclosing themselves into their own territory, formed the Shinobi Nations and started calling themselves 'shinobi' and their power 'chakra'. Their numbers were large enough to sustain that part of the world by themselves, and eventually they warred with each other, and then they separated into Hidden Villages.

About two hundred years ago, the shinobi found a link between the Shinobi Nations and what they called the 'Other World'. And though the shinobi could go Out, the 'normal people' couldn't go In, and the Outsiders eventually forgot about it, though ninja still used it from time to time. It seemed that only ninja could pass through the barrier, perhaps because it was made from their own energy: chakra.

"Well, it seems that there were another group of people who had weird powers too," explained Naruto. "They call themselves witches and wizards, and they call their power 'magic'. Even before us, they hid themselves as well, fearing what the people with no powers would do to them. Unlike us, though, they hid themselves in plain sight… kinda. They live side by side with the 'normal people', who can't even tell the difference between the magical ones and the non-magical.

"While sometimes the non-magical people have a child with magic, us shinobi are totally cut off from them," continued Naruto. "There will be no instances where two people with no powers will give birth to a shinobi capable of molding chakra."

"And so," Shikamaru said, interrupting Naruto's history lesson, "Kako has escaped to the wizarding world."

"That's it," said Naruto, his trademark grin spreading across his face again. "But honestly, the wizarding world is a big place. Kinda like the Shinobi Nations, so you'll have a hell of a time finding her."

"Thanks for your faith in me," said Shikamaru wryly.

"I have absolute faith in you," said Naruto. "But hey, we've pinpointed her location."

"Where?"

"Um… some place called Hogwarts. She's been there for quite some time and it doesn't look like she'll be moving. It looks like she wants something."

"Hogwarts?" Shikamaru raised a brow. "That's… a unique name."

"It is, isn't it," said Naruto. He weaved his fingers together and surveyed Shikamaru over them. The Nara couldn't help but think about how mature Naruto looked when he did that. "So, Shikamaru, you're leaving tomorrow. You'll be going over to the edge of the forest, going in the direction of Suna, where the trees meet the sand. Once you're there, travel left along the tree line for about two kilometres. That'll take half or more of a day. Once you have, there should be a huge and very gigantic rock that looks kinda like a fist. The passage to the Other World is on there.

"Now, to activate it, put your hand on any part of the rock, and then pour your chakra into it. This is the tricky part, so listen carefully. You must only pour _what is needed._"

"What is needed?"

"Well, yeah. The rock will tell you how much chakra it wants from you," said Naruto. "Actually, it's not that tricky at all. The rock will take what it wants and nothing more."

"It's alive?"

"We don't know," said Naruto. Shikamaru stared at him for a long time, and then pinched the bridge of his nose.

"And how do I get back?" he asked. Naruto's face brightened.

"Oh, well, that's easy. There should be another rock on the other side, so you just do the same thing. Actually, there are quite a lot of these rocks scattered around the wizarding world, so just touch any one of them, pour your chakra in, and you'll be back here."

Another sigh was heard.

"Alright, fine. I'm going now. Since I don't know how long this will take, I've got to say my goodbyes."

"Yeah…"

* * *

><p>"Dad?" said a small, quiet voice. Shikamaru blinked and turned around, facing his eldest son who was standing in the hallway. Nara Hotaka was twelve years old, looked uncannily like Shikamaru, and was in the same class and age group as Rai, Ino and Kiba's son.<p>

"Hey," said Shikamaru, smiling tiredly at him. It was night time; the moon was up, casting long silver rays of light into the dark Nara apartment. "You still up?"

"I could ask you the same thing," said Hotaka. He eyed his father's rumpled, dirty day clothes. "You should go shower."

"I will," said Shikamaru automatically. He held out his arm, and Hotaka, though always adamantly insisting that, "I'm not a baby anymore!" crawled into his lap and rested his cheek against Shikamaru's chest. The jounin's strong arms encircled the boy and he began rocking back and forth gently.

Hotaka spotted the glossy photographs on the coffee table, the things that Shikamaru had been looking at before he had come in.

"When's Mum coming back?"

Shikamaru stopped rocking and his arms tightened its hold. Hotaka wriggled out of his father's grasp to stare up to his face. Hurt… betrayal… they were all prominent emotions in his eyes.

"Soon," Shikamaru managed to say. "She'll be back soon."

Hotaka was old enough to know that Shikamaru didn't really believe what he was saying. But Shikamaru patted his head and said, "Come on, it's almost midnight. Go back to sleep."

"You're going on a mission tomorrow," said Hotaka.

"Ah, yes," said Shikamaru uneasily, mistaking his son's tone as accusation. "I'm sorry, Hotaka."

"It's okay," Hotaka said. "I know we need the money. I'm not mad at you."

Shikamaru grinned down at him; the corners of his eyes crinkled slightly. "You'll be staying with Sakura, alright?"

"Okay."

"You be good to her."

"I will."

"And take care of your sister. Michiko always follows you around, so you have to–"

"–protect her, because that's what big brothers are for," Hotaka recited, smirking. "I know, Dad. You've told me that enough times already."

"Well, it shows that you've remembered it," said Shikamaru. "Now go. It's not good for you to stay up late."

He watched his son patter back to his room, and after he heard the closing of the doors, his gaze drifted to the photographs again.

One showed a picture of a happy family. Hotaka sat on Shikamaru's shoulders, the boy was laughing and Shikamaru had a reluctant grin on his face. Michiko was giggling, being held up in the arms of a sandy-haired blonde woman, who was smiling, her eyes bright with happiness.

Temari.

Shikamaru's heart clenched as he gazed at the other photo, which was a lot older than the first. This one was just of him and Temari. Hinata had taken it. The Konoha Eleven and Temari had been going on a rare holiday. It was just after Shikamaru had gotten the nerve to ask the Suna kunoichi out.

Shikamaru leaned back on the couch, dragging a hand down his face, and allowed his emotions run without restraint when he felt the prickling in his eyes. The tears trickled down his cheeks, dripping onto the fabric of his pants. He kept quiet, though, not allowing himself to make a noise so his kids wouldn't wake.

And in the hallway, staring at the shaking figure with large, forlorn eyes, Hotaka watched his father cry for the first time in many, many years.

* * *

><p>"Now behave, alright?" said Shikamaru, glaring at his daughter first, and then his son. Michiko flashed him an all-too-bright, overly innocent smile, and Shikamaru gave her a hug and kissed the top of her head. Hotaka moved forwards and wrapped his hands around Shikamaru's waist. He didn't say anything about the night before, though he did notice that Shikamaru's eyes were redder than usual.<p>

Perhaps Sakura noticed as well, because the woman pulled Shikamaru aside for a few seconds after his farewell.

"Shikamaru, are you alright?" Sakura asked. Haruno Sakura had become the top medic in Konoha, having mastered everything that Tsunade had to teach her. She had allowed her pink hair to grow past its normal shoulder length and it now tumbled down to her elbows. Her green eyes were now fixed firmly on the Nara.

"Fine," said Shikamaru. "Just… yeah…"

Sakura assessed him critically for a second, and then, deciding nothing was physically wrong, put a hand on his shoulder. "Alright then," she said, "take care."

"I know," said Shikamaru. "Thanks for offering to look after them," he added, jerking his head to where his kids were standing at the doorway of Sakura's place.

"No worries," Sakura smiled. "Don't get killed."

Shikamaru chuckled lightly and then started walking out the gate that enclosed Sakura's house.

"Ah, Hotaka," said Shikamaru, turning back to his son. "You'll be graduating soon. If I'm not back by then, I'm sorry. But just to let you know: I'll always be proud of you."

Hotaka said nothing, but happiness lit up his features like a light. It wasn't often that Shikamaru said things like that. He only dealt out compliments when he meant it.

"Bye, Dad!"

Shikamaru smiled at his children's combined voices, and he waved at them without turning back.

"Bye," he said softly.

He made his stops to the Hyuuga household to visit Hinata and Hibiki, skipping Chouji's apartment because he knew the Akimichi was on a mission, Ino and Kiba's place, Neji and Tenten's flat, Goro's house and finally Naruto, to say his goodbyes. Once he did, he started going towards the village gates. He nodded to Lee as he spotted the spandex-clad man doing his daily pushups and waved when he saw Shino eating in a small dango shop. He passed Kotetsu and Izumo, who were _still _the gate guards, smiled at them, and then, standing in front of his village, cast the Hokage faces etched into the mountainside one last, lingering glance.

_Take care of them, Hokage-sama._

Stretching his legs, Shikamaru propelled chakra into them and then ran off towards Suna, leaving behind only a cloud of dust and a small group of people waiting anxiously for his return.

* * *

><p>Three quarters of a day passed and as the moon reached its peak in the sky, Shikamaru arrived at the stone that lead to the Other World. The stars twinkled brightly overhead and nothing moved apart from the leaves and the slight shifting of the sand in front of him.<p>

The rock was, in Naruto's words, "huge and very gigantic." It towered above Shikamaru, almost reaching up towards the canopy of the trees. Its width was equivalent to about five elephants standing head to tail, but the most outstanding thing about it was that the rock was the colour. It was a shiny, almost glittery silver. It looked as if it were made from metal.

As Shikamaru edged closer, ignoring the pangs that his calves were giving him, he could make out some characters on the side.

_Half_

Oh, so this bastard rock wanted _half _his chakra? Good Lord. Still, orders were orders, and Shikamaru cast away the thought of rest for tonight, and placed a hand on the rock. It was warm to touch, and though Shikamaru was sure he was imagining it, he thought he could feel pulses of energy crackling through the rock, almost as if it was alive and breathing.

Filled with misgivings, Shikamaru hesitantly let his chakra swell out and immediately the rock seemed to gobble it up. His chakra surged forwards and he saw, to his surprise, the chakra changing colour as it went. Instead of the usual blue, it turned a blinding, pure white.

_Oh man… what have I gotten myself into?_

As the rock gulped down his chakra–something that reminded Shikamaru unpleasantly of an old childhood enemy, Kisame and his sword, Samehada–he looked down at the rest of his body and saw himself fading. When it had eaten exactly half his chakra, the world began to blur into a multitude of vivid, intense colours, as if someone had splashed a rainbow across his vision, and then there was nothing but black.

* * *

><p><em>"Japanese."<em>

"English."

_Thoughts/emphasis_

* * *

><p><em>"Holy shit,"<em> Shikamaru groaned. His head was _pounding. _It was as if someone had decided to start banging pots and pans with Maito Gai screaming some nonsense about youth inside his brain. He sat up blearily, trying not to aggravate his headache, and glanced around at his surroundings.

Where the hell was he?

Oh, right. Well, it seemed as though he had landed right in the middle of some important meeting, if the expensive-looking clothes were anything to go by. Wait a second… were they wearing _dresses_?

_"Ano…" _said Shikamaru, trying to break the silence. _"Hi?"_

He was almost entirely surrounded by old, wizened men who looked a mixture of shocked, angry, and afraid. It looked a little like a courtroom, except instead of the seats facing one side, they curved around in a circle so that all the occupants could see each other. There was a small dip in the middle, in which Shikamaru was now sitting. The whole thing reminded him of a bird's nest.

And then, all these twigs were pointed at Shikamaru, who merely raised an eyebrow, puzzled.

"Who are you?" one of them shouted. "How did you get in here?"

_Oh man, _Shikamaru moaned mentally, _Naruto-baka didn't tell me they spoke different languages._

_"Um… I come in peace," _Shikamaru tried. _"Don't–uh–hurt me."_

A movement out of the corner of his eyes made Shikamaru flip to his feet, spin on his heel and face the wizard who had stowed his wand away. He, like the others, was ancient. No offense to him. A long white beard hung down to his waist and his eyes were a flickering, powerful blue.

"Wait," he called, though Shikamaru, of course, had no idea what he had just said. _"Now, young man," _said the old man, though Shikamaru was hardly young, _"who are you?"_

_"Nara Shikamaru, a ninja from Konoha," _Shikamaru said. _"Um… where am I?"_

_"Germany," _said the old man. He was rewarded with a blank look from Shikamaru.

_"I don't know what a Germany is, but I am looking for a place called Hogwarts," _said Shikamaru. He didn't fail to miss the sudden tenseness of old man's shoulders.

_"Why?"_

Shikamaru shrugged. _"I need to eliminate someone."_

_"From Hogwarts?"_

_"Well, apparently there's an enemy hidden there."_

By now, the other occupants were getting restless. What impatient people.

"Dumbledore! What's going on?" asked a man. "Do you know him?"

"No, my dear friend, I'm afraid not. But it seems he has some business with me," said the man who Shikamaru identified as Dumbledore. "The meeting was just about over, yes? Well now, if you'll excuse me…"

He grabbed Shikamaru with a surprisingly strong hand and tugged him out the door.

_"Wait, wait, what's happening?" _Shikamaru asked in bewilderment. Dumbledore reached the door and opened it, revealing a long hallway in which people bustled hurriedly past.

_"Let's go," _said Dumbledore shortly. Shikamaru escaped his grip and glared at him.

_"No way, old man. I don't even know you."_

_"I know where Hogwarts is," _was all Dumbledore said, and Shikamaru scrutinized him for a few moments, sighed, and then said, _"Lead the way."_

* * *

><p>Sitting in a hotel room, Shikamaru wondered uncomfortably just <em>how <em>he had gotten himself into this situation. Oh well. He could already see about six possible escape routes, so if worst came to worst, he could get out easily.

Dumbledore sat opposite, staring at Shikamaru carefully. Shikamaru stared back coolly and there was silence for a few minutes until Dumbledore broke it.

_"Do you speak German?"_

_"Um… no?"_

_"You are Japanese, yes?"_

_"I don't–maybe?"_

_"You are speaking Japanese."_

_"Am I? I am only speaking my own language. I don't know what a 'Japanese' is."_

_"You are in Germany right now."_

_"I have no idea what that is."_

An outtake of breath. _"Do you speak English?"_

_"I don't know what an 'English' is."_

Dumbledore massaged his temples. "I am speaking English right now."

Shikamaru stared at him, clueless.

_"You mentioned that you were seeking Hogwarts?"_

_"Yup."_

_"Why?"_

_"I told you. I need to eliminate someone."_

_"Congratulations, you have found the Headmaster of Hogwarts."_

_"Oh joy. You're the Headmaster? Well then, may you please take me there?"_

_"No."_

_"No?"_

_"It is a school filled with students. You said you were going to eliminate someone. I can't allow you to harm them."_

Shikamaru groaned in frustration. _"Look, old man, I'm looking for a missing-nin by the name of Ohayashi Kako. Do you know her?"_

_"A missing-nin?" _Understanding dawned in Dumbledore's eyes. _"You're a shinobi."_

_"No shit. I said that before."_

_"Shinobi are rare around here."_

_"That's because we keep to our own countries."_

_"Indeed."_

_"You haven't answered the question. Do you know Ohayashi Kako?"_

_"No, I'm afraid I don't."_

_"Well, there's a possibility that she may be posing as one of Hogwarts residents. Why? I don't know."_

Shikamaru had run through this theory in his head many times and it was one of the few explanations. _"She wants something from there. So will you help me get rid of her?"_

Dumbledore narrowed his eyes. _"I'm sorry, but I cannot trust a stranger that I've only met half an hour ago."_

Shikamaru rolled his eyes. _"Well, like it or not, I'll find my way to Hogwarts, with or without your help."_

_"Hogwarts had wards–"_

_"–that I can bypass. If you really get down to it, it is merely a very strong genjutsu," _Shikamaru said. _"If you help me, I'll be peaceful. If you don't and I see you again, and you try to hinder me, I'll be dangerous. You don't want that around your precious students, now do you?"_

Shikamaru wasn't fond of making threats, but he wasn't sure what else he could try. Dumbledore, however, took the warning very seriously. Dislike cooled his eyes.

_"Very well," _said Dumbledore, words stinging with frost. _"I'll see what I can do."_

_"Thank you," _said Shikamaru simply, putting his hands behind his head. _"Your cooperation is most helpful."_

Dumbledore pressed his lips together. _"Will you be able to track down this Ohayashi Kako immediately?"_

_"No," _said Shikamaru. _"According to her statistics, she's the master at genjutsu and disguises; pretty much an expert. That's why I ruled out the possibility of her lurking around the school. With her skills, she'd be more comfortable undercover."_

_"Fine," said Dumbledore, crossing his arms. "Fine. This is what will happen."_

Though Shikamaru and Dumbledore were cool around each other, neither could ignore the genius glint in the other's eyes. They recognised a kindred spirit in their intelligence, and their brilliant minds were already whirring, whirring, whirring away…

* * *

><p>So there was a lot of background at the beginning, and I do have a reason for that. With crossovers like these, it is rare to see everyday Village life. I wanted to show that shinobi, like civilians, have their own problems, whether it be family, financial, or whatnot. This is to build character and set the scene, because we are now around ten years into the future.<p>

Once again, all the OCs in this chapter are merely minor characters. I don't trust myself to write them completely into the story.

Thank you for reading, and reviews are appreciated.


	2. The Treasures in Your Chest

More information:

This'll be set in book five, _Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix_, though it'll be only following the storyline loosely. I'm not going to be sticking to it. And regarding Uchiha Sasuke… well, I don't know what happened to him. He's not relevant to this story; if I somehow figure out what Sasuke's doing in this timeline, then I'll tell you guys via the story, yes?

Though this fic will not be centred on Harry (we're focusing on Shikamaru), we _will_ be following our Golden Boy closely, but not too closely, in the story. The reason why Harry's not a main character is because, if you guys would kindly remember, our _actual _main character, Shikamaru, is twenty-nine going on thirty, while Harry is only fifteen. It's hard to open up to someone half your age, if you get what I mean. Furthermore, Shikamaru is only here to kill Ohayashi Kako, not tail Harry.

Also, I'm sorry; I lied. There will be some OCs that play major parts in this fic… but they're villains, so I don't think you guys will mind.

A note: 'Ohayashi' is the last name of Ohayashi Kako. I will be using her first name as her general name in this story, though I know the last name is normally used. This is to avoid confusion later on if I mention her brother.

And eighteen reviews is awesome for a first chapter! Love you all~!

The reviewers: Hikari367, kursedfire, ladyyuuki16, Torn Apart Paper Dinosaur, Furionknight, SiriusBalisticPretzels, asredwer, yonet-chan, hello-totoro-ninja, nightliliesu, Lacrimis Ignis, AlfredJuumonji, Miko Potter, BlueMirage and roseaj

Chapter Two: The Treasures in Your Chest

* * *

><p><em>"So what were you doing in Germany, anyway?" <em>Shikamaru asked casually. _"You said you were from England."_

_"I am indeed from England. But I am also a member of many different organisations and their meetings take place all over the world," _Dumbledore said easily. Shikamaru studied his wizened face for a moment but then concluded that he wasn't lying.

The two of them were taking a walk down the German streets the next morning, Dumbledore claiming that he wanted some taste of the culture before he went back home. Shikamaru had accompanied him in the hopes of digging up more information. Even though the pair was still wary around each other, it seemed that the excitement of being in a different country could not quell Dumbledore's delight and curiosity.

Germany was indeed a very beautiful place. Tall, grand houses towered over the pair, their many windows gazing at the street strollers like a king surveying his kingdom. The roads were cobbled, worn smooth by the footsteps of many millions over the years. School children ran happily along the paths, giggling and shouting out loud, while the more mature adults ambled towards their destination with relaxed expressions on their faces as they exchanged gossip and news.

_"Belegtes Brötchen?" _Dumbledore asked. Shikamaru leaned back slightly when the old man shoved some kind of bread roll in his face.

_"Ano… sure," _Shikamaru said, accepting the food. Dumbledore, who had just disappeared into the bakery, went back out again, smiling cheerily as if his life had been complete because he bought a bread roll. _"What's in this?"_

_"This particular one has butter and jam," _said Dumbledore, peering between the loaves. _"I apologise if it's not to your taste; I am rather fond of sweet things, you see."_

Shikamaru took a dubious bite, chewing thoughtfully, and then, when he swallowed, he stared at it for a second and said, _"It's alright."_

_"Excellent," _said Dumbledore. He shook up his sleeve, peering down at a watch he had taken out. When Shikamaru looked at it, he saw twelve planets instead of numbers. How strange. Dumbledore's face turned regretful.

_"What's up?" _Shikamaru asked, finishing off his bread roll.

_"I'm afraid we've run out of time," _sighed Dumbledore. _"I've got to get back to the Ministry. I have something important that needs attending to."_

_"Right, so let's go," _said Shikamaru, who didn't really care. _We've wasted enough time here already, _he added to himself.

Dumbledore gave him an amused glance, as if he knew exactly what was going on in the jounin's mind.

_"Come now," _said Dumbledore. _"We've got to go to an Apparating site."_

_"What's Apparating?" _Shikamaru asked. _"Wait, let me guess. It's the way you wizards travel, yes?"_

_"It is, yes," Dumbledore nodded. "You have a quick mind."_

"_Nah, I'm just good at guessing."_

The pair rounded a corner and they found an empty alleyway. There was a sign there with a massive red 'A' painted on it.

_"The 'A' stands for Apparating," _said Dumbledore.

_"I have no idea what that symbol means," _Shikamaru grumbled. He then raised an eyebrow when Dumbledore held out his arm towards him.

_"Um… sorry, but I'm not single and I already have a family," _said Shikamaru, staring at the Headmaster's arm. Dumbledore's lips twitched, as if he were trying to stay serious, but at the same time, trying not to laugh.

_"I'm sorry, I should have explained," _Dumbledore said, rolling his shoulders. _"Since you cannot Apparate, we'll have to do Side-Apparation, meaning you have to grab my arm to go along for the ride."_

Shikamaru released a breath he hadn't known he'd been holding and grasped Dumbledore's wrist.

_"Hold tight," _Dumbledore warned, and then he twisted.

Shikamaru gasped–or he _tried _to, anyway–when the world was engulfed into darkness. The darkness pressed against his lungs, preventing him from drawing breath. It compressed his body, crushing down on his skin, his cheeks, his eyeballs, his eardrums. And then, suddenly as it happened, the devastating pressure vanished, leaving Shikamaru wheezing and hunched over on all fours.

_"First time is always the most nauseating," _said a voice above him. Shikamaru was trying his best to kill Dumbledore with the imaginary daggers that were shooting out of his eyes.

_"Thanks for the warning," _Shikamaru said sarcastically.

_"No problem at all," _said Dumbledore, as if he didn't have a care in the world. Shikamaru figured that Dumbledore was enjoying his discomfort of the magical world. He got up and brushed the dirt from his pants and flak jacket.

_"So, where are we?" _Shikamaru asked. He was standing in front of what looked like a bar whose name he could not read.

_"The Leaky Cauldron," _said Dumbledore. He began striding inside and Shikamaru followed, his guard up. This bar gave him a creepy feeling. A bald, toothless man was behind the counter and he grinned at them as they came in. There was only one other customer there: a man whose head was covered in long bandages and the rest of his body by a dark cloak.

As Dumbledore and the bartender–who Shikamaru learned was called Tom–talked in low tones, Shikamaru took his time to inspect his surroundings. He jumped when a mop swept past, leaving a trail of water in its wake. The thing was… it was unsupported. He spotted cloths drying glasses by itself and a sponge cleaning the dishes.

_So this is magic, _Shikamaru thought. He didn't like it.

_"Shikamaru-san?" _said Dumbledore. _"I have rented a room here for you. What we discussed yesterday will be executed in a few days, when term starts. Until then, stay here, explore, if you wish, and I'll send a member of staff over here to pick you up when the time comes. It would also help if you could learn the language at least roughly. Unfortunately, we don't have any translation spells."_

_"Fine," _Shikamaru nodded. Dumbledore stared at him for a few moments, and then said, _"I must get going. Tom will show you to your room. I hope you enjoy your stay."_

_Enjoy, my ass, _Shikamaru thought in annoyance. _I'm losing time. I've got to finish this mission quickly. Freakin' Dumbledore… Oh well. I guess I could also pick up some information about the wizarding world for Naruto; it'll add to our information files._

"Come on, Mr Nara," said Tom, beckoning him towards a set of stairs. "Yer room is number two hundred and two."

Shikamaru briefly wondered how more than two hundred rooms could fit into this dingy inn, but then figured that it must be the magic. Again.

When the jounin entered his room, he took in the bed, the window, the drawer and the small table, formed his escape routes, dropped his pack on his bed and then backtracked out again.

"Uh… I go," said Shikamaru to Tom, who was looking at him in puzzlement as he struggled to remember the conversations he had eavesdropped in. "I go… explore Dee-a-gon A-rrey, yes?"

Shikamaru inwardly cursed as his tongue twisted around and tried to pick out the difference between the 'r's and the 'l's.

"Alright," said Tom, and if he seemed confused about his client's English, he didn't show it. "Come this way."

Tom led him down the stairs again and out the back, chatting as he did so.

"Professor Dumbledore said that ya didn't have a wand, which is quite interesting. So any time ya need to go to Diagon Alley, just come and find me, and I'll help ya on ya way, yeah?"

"Um… yes," said Shikamaru, trying to make sense of the jumble of words, never mind the accent. Tom stopped at a wall at the back, and the only things there were a few rubbish bins, one of which had toppled over. Yet, Shikamaru could feel a faint pulse of energy–which felt like chakra, but wasn't–coming from the wall; it felt similar, but not quite, like the rock that had sent him to this world.

Then Tom began tapping the bricks. Shikamaru memorised the code and when Tom finished, the wall quivered. Shikamaru felt a swell of energy and the bricks began _moving_. It took all of Shikamaru willpower to _not _chuck a few kunai into the wall, and if he had been younger, he probably would have. Years and years of experience had taught him to master his impulses until he was _completely _sure it was an enemy. And obviously, the wall wasn't an enemy.

Shikamaru struggled to keep his mouth closed when he saw the scene beyond. Wow…

It was a street; a wide, bustling street, filled with people–Shikamaru assumed that they were witches and wizards–clothed in outrageously bright colours. There were wagons full of biting plants and laughing clocks, stores with glossy textbooks on display, a shop with prowling, multicoloured animals in cages, one shop that read 'Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions', and a huge, majestic building in the distance that rose above all the other stores.

_My students would love it here, _Shikamaru thought.

There were windows stacked with eyeballs in jars and a display that held delicate little silver instruments that tottered on their racks. To Shikamaru's right was a small cluster of tables under colourful umbrellas in which people were sitting down and enjoying large cones of ice cream. Potion ingredients and copper cauldrons overflowed from a store and out onto the streets, but strangely enough, Shikamaru could see no pickpockets, though there were so many people that the throng squeezed into him in all directions, jostling him and almost making him fall over.

However, all this made Shikamaru very, very nervous. Having been in a war, both completed and failed many dangerous missions and taken part in many other disputes that involved enemy ninja and whatnot, he knew that in such a crowded place like this, it was easy for a foe to hide. He tried to convince himself that this was _not _the Shinobi Nations and that it was highly unlikely that he would find a hostile shinobi here, but the skills and instincts ingrained in his head from childhood till now refused to back down. And so, Shikamaru could only take comfort in knowing that his weapons holster was near and nothing more. His senses pricked and his muscles tensed, and throughout his exploration of Diagon Alley, he was jumpy and almost stabbed a few innocent civilians a couple of times.

"Aha! A handsome man like you must have a special lady friend, yes?" cried a witch, who suddenly jumped into his path. Shikamaru resisted the urge to throw a shuriken at her and stilled his arm.

"… Hi," said Shikamaru. He found out–in his limited experience with the language–that he was better at listening to English than actually speaking it.

"Look, buy these roses; they'll bloom like this forever!" the witch said excitedly, shaking the bunch of flowers under his nose. Shikamaru coughed as the powerful scent invaded his nostrils.

"N-no, sank you," Shikamaru said. His eyes flickered to the roses, immediately disliking them on sight. Perhaps it was because they reminded him too much of Temari.

_"I don't like fake flowers," Temari declared. Shikamaru, who had been staring at the clouds next to her, raised an eyebrow, and simply said, "Uh… okay."_

_"I don't like them, because they don't wilt," Temari continued, oblivious to the fact that Shikamaru was almost falling asleep._

_"So… you want dead flowers? I'll keep that in mind."_

_"No. I like natural flowers. Obviously, because they look prettier, but also because you _know _that they'll die soon, and that makes you appreciate them more. It makes you enjoy the moment. It makes you enjoy the times when the flowers are in bloom and you value them because you know that if you don't, if you leave it too late, then the flowers will sag and die."_

"I insist!" the witch said. "Or you can always use them to brighten up your room," she added, as if it was an afterthought.

"I–I dun want," said Shikamaru, shaking his head vigorously. "I dun want."

And with that, he skirted around the disappointed witch and went on his way. He sorely wanted to just leap up onto the rooftops, but he doubted the magical folk would _not_ notice some random bouncing along up above.

_So troublesome…_

Shikamaru leaned over and examined some weird little cactus thing that was throbbing slightly like some prickly organ.

_Those boils look like they're filled with something, _Shikamaru thought. His curiosity got the better of him.

He took out a kunai–the wizard manning the stall was busy advertising to his other shoppers–and Shikamaru poked the plant.

"Gah!"

Shikamaru spluttered when he received a helping of some stinking green pus on his face and his vest.

"Oh, my dear boy, you mustn't aggravate a _Mimbulus mimbletonia _like that! Look at you; you're all covered in stinksap," chided the wizard in charge, hurrying over to him. The man waved his wand and the foul-smelling liquid disappeared.

"Sank you," said Shikamaru, trying to get rid of the taste from his mouth. He had accidentally swallowed some. The wizard's eyes brightened.

"Ah! A tourist! A foreigner! How delightful!" the wizard said. "Look here! There are some things that you won't find anywhere else in the world! How about bringing some home for your family, eh? Here, here, this is a Sneakoscope, one of the finest in Britain. Highest quality, you know! And this singing–"

"I got already," said Shikamaru hastily, bowing and backing away. _"Ja ne."_

_Why is everyone trying to sell me stuff? _Shikamaru groaned, slipping into the crowd. He figured that he should go back to his room, when something made him freeze in his tracks.

Chakra. A chakra signature.

Shikamaru shook himself out of his stupor and edged to the side, pretending to observe a talking rabbit. His eyes, however, were flicking back and forth, side to side, up and down. He couldn't pinpoint the location of the chakra signature. It was definitely coming closer, though. Shikamaru straightened up and made a show of glancing at the wares all around him, flashing fake smiles at the owners, never resting on one thing for more than two seconds.

The signature had paused now. But where was it?

He made no attempt to hide his own chakra, knowing that–if the owner of the other signature were skilled–he or she would have already sensed it. If it were an enemy, they would have already run away from him. Or maybe they were playing it cool.

It was moving…

Closer… pausing…

There!

Shikamaru whirled around, finally locating its owner: directly on his right, about ten metres away.

His eyes scanned the area, and they fell on a little witch who was at a second-hand books stall, chatting amiably with a warlock. She moved a few metres to her right, and that was when Shikamaru _knew._ He knew exactly who she was.

_Medical history:_

_Left knee injury; now walks with a limp–sustained on a mission to Otogakure_

This witch with a shinobi's chakra had uneven footsteps.

She twisted slightly and their eyes met. Shikamaru and the witch stared at each other, and in that instant, the world faded around them, the colours blurring together and churning, churning, churning into a whirlwind of sounds and scents. In that second, the only people that existed were Shikamaru and the witch.

No.

Shikamaru and the kunoichi.

Shikamaru and Ohayashi Kako.

_"Got you," _Shikamaru whispered. Slowly, ever so slowly, his hand crept down to his kunai pouch. Kako smiled; it was a cold, analytical smile, and she mouthed some words. Even at this distance, Shikamaru could still make them out.

_'Be careful, Konoha jounin. One day, you'll find the treasures in your chest to be completely, utterly gone.'_

Kako's eyes flicked down to his fingers, which were curled around the hilt of a blade, and then, a wizard walked between the two, cutting off Shikamaru's view of Kako. When the wizard moved away, Shikamaru cursed, because the kunoichi had disappeared.

_She's hidden her signature, _Shikamaru growled to himself. _Shit._

His head turned in all directions, trying to catch sight of that little witch again, but to no avail. She was gone.

Shikamaru swore again but then another question popped into his mind:

All reports had indicated that Kako hadn't left Hogwarts from the second she arrived. So what was she doing in Diagon Alley?

* * *

><p>Thoughts of his encounter with Kako plagued Shikamaru's thoughts as he stayed in The Leaky Cauldron. He went back every day to Diagon Alley, hoping to catch her once again, but it was in vain. In this fashion, one week passed.<p>

Shikamaru nodded absent-mindedly at Tom and swayed up the stairs on his seventh day at the inn; he was just coming up from breakfast. So engrossed in thought that he was, he failed to notice the visitor in his room until he was almost face to face with him.

"Dumb-rr-dor-san," said Shikamaru in surprise. In a little corner at the back of his head, he knew that he was probably pronouncing the old man's name wrong. Ah well. "What you doing here?"

"What _are_ you doing here," Dumbledore corrected without thinking. His blue eyes were troubled as he set them on Shikamaru's face. His gaze was blank. Shikamaru, though not normally intimidated easily, felt as if the old man's stare was piercing straight through him and into his soul. He shifted.

"_Ano_… sumting wrong?" Shikamaru asked.

"Some_thing_," Dumbledore corrected once more. Shikamaru's eyebrow twitched. Dumbledore spoke again, "I need you to come with me."

The jounin cocked his head. "Why?"

"I can't explain here," said Dumbledore. Shikamaru didn't miss the way his eyes darted around the room almost nervously and how a hand was plunged inside his robes–presumably holding his twig-thing.

_Wand, _Shikamaru thought idly.

What happened next was too fast for Shikamaru to be bothered keeping track of; he just went with the flow.

"Come," said Dumbledore curtly. Shikamaru didn't say anything, but merely picked up his pack and follow the wizard out the door. They swept down the stairs and Dumbledore strode over to the fireplace. He nodded at Tom and took a pinch of some glittery powder from the flowerpot next to the fireplace.

"Do exactly as I do," Dumbledore said. He threw the powder into the fire; it turned green, the flames licking the brick sides like a child eating a lollipop. "The Burrow!"

Shikamaru blinked when Dumbledore stepped _into _the fire and he disappeared completely.

_He wants me to do _that_? _Shikamaru thought. He made a face and then took his own bit of powder.

"The Burrow," said Shikamaru, trying his best _not _to screw up his 'r's and 'l's. It must have worked because a few seconds of panicked spinning later, Shikamaru shot out of the fireplace, sneezing soot and rubbing his eyes.

_The crap?_

Shikamaru sat up, rubbing his dizzy head, and saw Dumbledore walking out the back door of a cramped, but cheerful little house. It was empty. The Nara went after him and in the garden–Shikamaru thought he saw a few random little heads popping in and out–Dumbledore held out his arm, and Shikamaru, knowing what would happen now, took it.

Dumbledore twisted.

Like the first time, Shikamaru found Apparating very, very uncomfortable and even more troublesome. Unlike the first time, Shikamaru managed to stay on his feet, wobbling for a second or two, but then regaining his balance.

"Where we are?" Shikamaru asked. Houses glared down on every side all around him. There were dark alleys that _would _have been scary at night, but in full daylight, it was hard to be frightened. There were very little pedestrians on the streets; the occasional one or two went about their business quickly and quietly.

_"We are at number twelve, Grimmauld Place, the Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix," _Dumbledore muttered into his ear, switching to Shikamaru's native tongue, which (though Shikamaru denied it) was Japanese.

As soon as Dumbledore said that, numbers eleven and thirteen–the two houses directly in front of the pair–began to shift. Literally. It puffed and sidled away, and in the gap between the houses, another one bulged out. It was like watching a plant grow in fast-motion.

Number twelve was ancient and big enough to almost be called a mansion. The windows were grimy, the door on the verge of falling off, and the whole place looked as if was about to crumble to the ground any minute.

Dumbledore went to the front door, Shikamaru ghosting along, and they entered. Even with all the sun outside, the inside of the house was still dim and murky. Shikamaru squinted, trying to peer through the gloom, but it was like trying to see through muddied water.

"Lumos."

The gas lamps ahead flickered to life and Shikamaru twitched. He could hear the sounds of laughter and chatter up ahead; the sounds were completely out of place in this 'haunted house'.

As the pair travelled along the hallway, Shikamaru saw, to his relief, that yes, sunlight _did _make it through the filth-encrusted windows. It illuminated the dust motes in the air, which stirred and swept into mini cyclones as he went past.

_"Ano sa, what's the date today?" _Shikamaru asked. It was a random question, but he wanted to know.

_"August third," _Dumbledore said shortly. _"You came one week ago, on the twenty-seventh of July."_

_"Hm…"_

They reached a door, and beyond, light–daylight–poured in. Dumbledore opened the door and all the occupants paused in their doings.

_"Why is that wherever I go, people always _stare _at me?" _Shikamaru grumbled. Dumbledore, though being a silent, serious figure for most of the journey, cracked a small smile at his discomfort.

In the silence that followed, Shikamaru took it upon himself to judge the figures in the room. First impressions always last.

There was a man in the corner, who had been talking in low tones with another man. The first man looked like someone had shoved him into a mincer and then roughly stuck him back together again. He had a scarred face that could rival Ibiki's, a beady, small black eye, and the other was a large, spinning, electric blue one, which whizzed around and around. He had only a few wisps of hair and his gnarled fingers were resting on a staff. Shikamaru glimpsed a wooden leg under the cloak. The man's poise struck Shikamaru as belonging to a man who was always, _always _ready.

The second man looked young but there were already telltale traces of silver-grey hair on his head. He was lean and looked vaguely tired. His dress–eh, _clothes_, robes, whatever–were shabby, and though he looked human, Shikamaru couldn't help but think there was something animalistic about him.

At the table were four children with bright red hair. One was a lanky teen, two were identical twins, and the fourth was a girl, obviously younger than all of them. Shikamaru's eyes travelled and he picked out two men and a woman. One of the men was young, maybe in his mid-twenties. The other was balding and as Shikamaru watched, his hand went over to clasp the woman's arm. All three had the fiery hair as well.

_Family, _Shikamaru concluded.

Next to the lanky boy was a girl, same age as him, with bushy brown hair and sharp eyes. _She's a smart one,_ Shikamaru noted.

The final person in the room was a man in his thirties. He had scraggly black hair that hung to his shoulders and a gaunt, hollow face. He had the look of a wild man and his eyes were haunted and cynical.

Shikamaru's observations were made in a second and in the next second, he found himself weighing up the worth of every person in the room. He immediately put them under the categories 'valuable', 'has potential' and 'useless'.

The balding man–has potential

The scarred man–valuable

The man who looked young but had grey hair–valuable

The straggly, black-haired man–valuable

The red-haired woman–useless

The young red-haired man–has potential

The four kids–useless

The bushy-haired girl–useless

That was Shikamaru's first impression of them. He knew that it wasn't fair that he was already classing them when he had all but seen them for three seconds but it was a habit that he picked up after the Fourth Shinobi World War. Konoha, no, _all_ the Hidden Villages had been–and still were–short on shinobi and Shikamaru had quickly learned that some ninja were great assets on missions while others were complete sacks of meat. Shikamaru had to learn to choose carefully and wisely when he picked his teams because successful missions were the only way to guarantee the much-needed money for Konoha.

He noticed that the scarred man was speaking and forced himself to pay attention, though there _were _some nice, fluffy clouds just visible outside the window.

"This him?" the man asked, jerking his head towards the Nara.

"Yes," said Dumbledore grimly. "This is him." He turned to the jounin, who thought it was high time that he introduced himself.

"Nara Shikamaru," he said. "Eh… _hajimemashite_."

Dumbledore glanced at the motherly-looking witch who understood his non-verbal message.

"Alright, kids, clear out," she said sharply. There was much groaning and complaints–Shikamaru smiled; it reminded him of his own team–and flattened himself against the wall to let them past. The kids threw him curious looks but said nothing.

The only people left were the scarred man, the animalistic man, the husband and wife, the young redhead man, the one with straggly black hair, Dumbledore and Shikamaru himself.

They all sat themselves around the table and Shikamaru hesitated before choosing a seat next to Dumbledore. The plump witch locked the door with a wave of her wand and she muttered something. Shikamaru felt something stir in the air but he wasn't sure what it was. Was it the magic? Did the witch cast a spell? His uneasiness rose, as did his impatience.

"What going on?" Shikamaru asked when everyone had settled down. "What I do here?"

"He's a foreigner?" asked the young-old man. Shikamaru finally realised that the man looked wolfish. How strange.

"Yes. I won't say what country he comes from, because I don't know myself," explained Dumbledore. "He's… of Japanese descent, though."

_"Dumb-rr-dor-san, can you please just tell me what's going on?" _Shikamaru snapped, finally running out of patience. He'd had enough; he needed to get a move on. This mission was supposed to be simple, for Kami's sake! It was just a freakin' missing-nin!

"What did he say?" the black-haired man demanded.

"He wants to know what's going on," Dumbledore said calmly.

"You mean he doesn't even know?" the young red-haired man said in surprise.

_"What don't I know?" _Shikamaru said, glaring at Dumbledore. He understood what the others were saying, at least.

_"Did you see someone at Diagon Alley?" _Dumbledore asked unexpectedly. Shikamaru frowned at him.

_"I may have. Why?"_

_"Was it a woman?"_

_"What if it was?"_

_"She's Ohayashi Kako, right?"_

_"Alright, what are you getting at, old man?" _Shikamaru said suspiciously. Dumbledore didn't answer but he dug into his pockets and fished out a sheet of paper. Shikamaru took it curiously and his eyes scanned the kanji.

Fury stirred in his blood as he read the messages. The first one, he didn't really care about.

'_A dying man needs to die, as a sleepy man needs to sleep, and there comes a time when it is wrong, as well as useless, to resist.' _(1)

No, it was the next one that made killing intent spike into the room. It was more personal and more chilling. It was a warning that had already been delivered.

'_Be careful, Konoha jounin. One day, you'll find the treasures in your chest to be completely, utterly gone.'_

The paper was crushed in a callused fist. Shikamaru's frame quivered and his jaws clenched together. He knew exactly what the words of the second message meant.

Interpretation one: his heart–and maybe some other organs–was going to be ripped out of chest. Gruesome, but possible.

Interpretation two: treasures = his loved ones; chest = heart. She was going to kill his precious people if he didn't stop pursuing her.

Fuck this.

* * *

><p>(1) Quote by Stewart Alsop<p>

About the 'Belegtes Brötchen'… I honestly just got that off Wikipedia. If anyone here is more experienced with German food, please tell me in a review so I can fix it up because I don't even know if it's right.

Shikamaru's a genius and I'm sure that he is smart enough to start learning the English language as soon as he arrived in England. Plus, with his memory, learning English will be easier for him than most.

Updated: 28 February 2012


	3. First Impressions

Just a warning: this story is a tad more focused on the _Naruto _side of things than the _Harry Potter_, but don't worry. It's a crossover, and a crossover it shall be.

Thanks for the reviewers: ladyyuuki16, Lupin and Tonks Forever, hello-totoro-ninja, The Sixth Sense, asredwer, Yonet, Spider's Thread, Furionknight, TrenchcoatMan, Lambdub, Flower in the River and SilverMoonPhantom.

Chapter Three: First Impressions

* * *

><p>Sirius Black eyed Nara Shikamaru carefully, studying every detail etched into his face. When Nara and Dumbledore had first entered the room, he immediately thought, <em>Warrior, <em>because honestly, that was what he saw. When he first set eyes on Nara, he saw a fighter, a soldier and, strangely enough, a protector. But this image of him was marred by the fact that Sirius also thought, _Killer._

From what Sirius could tell, Nara was in his late twenties; he possibly twenty-eight or twenty-nine or thirty. He had black hair, tied up into a high, spiky ponytail. He wore black pants, in which there were bandages on his upper thigh, and strapped over that was some kind of pouch thing. Around his waist, resting just under the small of his back was another pouch. He had on a black, long-sleeved shirt and over that was a weird vest with a lot of pockets. On his upper arm there was a metal plate with an engraving on it. Sirius didn't recognise the symbol. On his feet were a pair of strange sandals and Sirius noticed that the man had little silver studs in his ears. Nara's overall expression was lazy and his aura clearly told the others, _I really don't care. _But Sirius didn't miss the sharp gleam in Nara's eyes, one that spoke of high intelligence and a genius mind.

_He analyses, _Sirius thought with a start. He saw the way Nara's eyes probed everyone in the room when he arrived, including himself. And it was as if he was grouping them together according to how good they were in battle.

Sirius liked him.

He especially felt an odd sense of satisfaction when he realised–though he didn't know how–that he passed Nara's 'test'. He was valuable, according to Nara.

Dumbledore and Nara were conversing in another language now–Japanese?–and Dumbledore passed the man a note. Sirius was fiddling with his spoon when he jerked, feeling a sudden frost in the air; the intent filled with the urge to kill.

Eyes flickering up, he saw Nara with a very, very, _very_ dark expression on his face. The paper was crumpled and the other Order members were watching him warily, getting ready for any outburst or attacks. Nothing happened. Nara visibly calmed himself, taking deep, slow breaths, and releasing his fist.

Then, he smirked.

"Want them, eh?" Nara muttered to himself. "What she on about? Talking about _Temari _here." But though his words were confident, Sirius didn't miss the flash of fear in his eyes.

"So what I doing here?" Nara asked, his voice expressionless.

"Well, Dumbledore was the one who said…" Bill said, trailing off and looking questioningly at the Headmaster himself. Nara raised an eyebrow.

"You?"

"I _can _read kanji," Dumbledore said. Nara glared at him.

"You had no right," Nara hissed.

"Oi, calm it," Mad-Eye snapped. He shifted in his place; Sirius knew he didn't trust him. Hell, though Sirius automatically respected Nara, he didn't trust him either.

"I merely thought that it would be safer here for you," Dumbledore said evenly. His face didn't betray his feelings; they were kept cleanly under wraps.

Nara sneered at him. "Bad move, Dumb-rr-dor-san. Never let enemy into territory without–" he paused here, evidently trying to think of the word "–reason. You want me something."

_You want something from me, _Sirius mentally translated in his head. This dude's English was awful. But hey, if he had only been here for a week and known nothing of the language beforehand, Sirius had to hand it to him–Nara picked up the words pretty quickly.

"That may or may not be the case," Dumbledore politely, 'but it _is _true; you're safer here."

"No," said Nara, shaking his head. "I make more danger here."

"Grimmauld Place has some of the strongest protection magic there is," Remus cut in, his tone mild. Nara ignored him.

"I also thought you might know what's going on," Dumbledore said.

"I go Ho-gu-wart-su," Nara said. "I kill Ohayashi Kako; I go home. Easy. Don't want involve in your country's affairs."

Sirius blinked. Did he just say 'kill'?

"I'm afraid it's not that simple," said Dumbledore, disregarding the nervous shuffling that the other Order members were displaying. "What do you know of Dementors?"

_Why _did Dumbledore always have to go off topic?

"I don't know," said Nara, throwing the Headmaster a confused look. Then he grew annoyed again. "You go away from topic." Huh. Great minds think alike.

"Dementors are the guards of the wizarding prison Azkaban," Dumbledore said. "Yesterday, they attacked a young wizard by the name of Harry Potter."

The mention of that event stirred up all the panic Sirius had covered up before. Worry for his godson reared its head and Sirius clamped his hands down on the arms of his chair to stop them from shaking.

"So?"

Sirius cocked an eyebrow, his anxiety forgotten as he contemplated the new turn of discussion. Hadn't Nara ever heard of Harry Potter?

"Ohayashi Kako was with them," said Dumbledore. The name didn't ring any bells for Sirius, though he _did _hear it pass the Headmaster's lips when he was talking with Nara. He wasn't sure if it was the same words, though; they had been speaking too quickly and the unfamiliar speech cluttered the words together.

Yet, though Sirius didn't recognise the name, Nara evidently did. The foreigner's face whitened, but Sirius could tell that his brain was working on overdrive.

"And that," continued Dumbledore, "is a very, very rare situation. Dementors do not work with outsiders. They only listen to the Minister for Magic and high-ranking Ministry officials, and even that control is very limited and shaky."

Nara's sharp brown eyes closed and he took on a more comfortable position. He leaned back and his fingers moved together, the tips touching their opposite on the other hand.

"What is he doing?" Mr Weasley asked in a subdued voice, but Dumbledore was gazing at him curiously. A minute of silence passed, everyone staring. Finally, Nara's eyes cracked open and he gazed wearily at the table in front of him.

"Predict is very hard," said Nara, staring at his palms. "Many unknown factors. _Kuso._"

Nara sat in silence for a long, long time. The Order members were unusually patient; no one uttered a word as they watched the man go through a not-easily-visible internal battle. Sirius noticed that Dumbledore especially was looking at Nara with a hawk-like intensity, as if he was trying figure him out with simply his eyes.

Finally, after an age, Nara finally spoke. "I stay. I find out. Easier to do here."

"Very well," said Dumbledore. Sirius was surprised to note that his voice was unusually cool; didn't he like Nara?

"I sorry impose on you," Nara added, as if it was an afterthought.

"It doesn't matter," Molly Weasley said at once. "We'll be glad of your company."

Evidently, Nara, like Sirius, knew that the woman was only saying that out of politeness. He snorted and then rose from his chair.

"I go Ho-gu-wart-su soon," said Nara. He didn't make that a question, more like a statement with an underlying threat. Mad-Eye glared at him, noting the warning as well.

Dumbledore didn't blink, which Sirius thought to be quite brave, considering that term didn't start for another month or so and that the Headmaster would have to be the one to tell Nara that.

"Give me one month to get ready," said Dumbledore. Nara's eyes flashed.

"One month?" he repeated. He then said something very fast in Japanese and Dumbledore answered back. The two spoke rapidly and at the end, Nara's jaws clenched. Anger clouded his face but Dumbledore had evidently said something that would keep him put for the weeks ahead.

The sound of chairs scraping backwards brought Sirius back to the present–he had been busy running over the scenarios of Harry's hearing, which ended up making him feeling even _more _useless, because he couldn't do anything about it.

"I know Mr Nara will be in good hands," said Dumbledore, standing up swiftly. Sirius raised an eyebrow; was 'Nara' his first name or his last name?

Dumbledore's blue eyes peered down at the top of Nara's spiky black hair and then he glanced up at the Order members, his mouth moving silently. The message was clear.

_Watch him._

Sirius frowned, knowing that when Dumbledore delivered warnings, they were usually for a reason. Was Nara this dangerous?

* * *

><p><em>"One freakin' month until my mission actually starts," <em>Shikamaru hissed furiously. He stalked the length of his (admittedly large) bedroom, and fumed.

_"Give me one month to get ready," Dumbledore said._

_"What? One month?" Shikamaru said, outraged. "This type of mission only takes a few weeks, four weeks at most! And you're telling me that I have to stay around in this dingy house for _one whole month _before I even _do _anything?"_

_"I would like to scout out Hogwarts myself before letting you in there," said Dumbledore evenly._

_"But that's not gonna take you one month," Shikamaru snarled. For Kami's sake, what was this old man playing at?_

_"Take it or leave it. Your choice," said Dumbledore._

_"I told you," said Shikamaru coldly, going back to his calmer demeanour, "I can easily break into that castle."_

_"Yes, but you'll have over one thousands students and highly experienced staff to dodge," said Dumbledore._

_"I know how to go on undercover missions, old man," said Shikamaru irritably._

_"Not with Hogwarts' wards. True, you can bypass them, but you don't know what other magic can cancel out your… power," said Dumbledore, hesitating when he referred to chakra. He obviously didn't know what 'magic' Shikamaru wielded._

_Shikamaru had already thought of that scenario and tried to ignore it, though it went against his better judgment. This old man was perceptive._

_"And if you stay for one month here, you'll learn some things and it'll help you with your search for Ohayashi Kako," Dumbledore added._

_Shikamaru wished that Dumbledore wasn't a genius as well. Goddammit._

The room in which that woman called 'Molly Weasley' had shown him was only up one level from the landing from the kitchen. They probably stuck him there so that they could observe him. He hadn't missed Dumbledore private message to the others: _watch him._ Though Shikamaru didn't see the old goat's face, he was well-versed in the art of reading the expressions of people, and he had carefully, but discreetly, noted the little changes in face on the other Order members. Some had looked surprised, others looked cautious, and a few had even snuck suspicious glances at him.

Shikamaru flopped down onto the bed, his eyes following the trail of a spider as it scuttled across the intricately designed ceiling like a runner in a race. His line of vision moved and he was staring at the cracks in the corner, fanning out like a web; beautiful, in an odd and I'm-going-crazy kind of way. Finally, his gaze fell on the mirror that rested on the drawers. He sat up on his bed, bouncing slightly on the springs, examining his reflection as it came into view.

Tired eyes, but the most prominent emotion in them was annoyance. His hair now stuck up in odd angles from when he was laying down and his jounin flak jacket was half hanging off his left shoulder; he had unzipped it when he came into his room.

Without thinking, his hands clasped themselves into seals, mind only half-conscious of what his body was doing. There was a _poof _of white smoke and a small hawk appeared.

Shikamaru sighed. _"You again, Hajime-kun?"_

The falcon made an ungainly sound and ruffled his feathers. _"Oh come on, Shikamaru-kun. Don't be mean. You're the one who summoned me anyway."_

The jounin felt his eyebrows twitch. _"I didn't want you, I wanted Aoi-kun."_

_"Hmph. Well sor-ry for not being good enough," _Hajime said, sticking his beak into the air. Shikamaru tried not to face-palm.

_"Okay, I want you to go to Konoha and tell Naruto that my family might be in danger," _Shikamaru said, his voice low and serious. Hajime straightened up as well, digging his sharp talons into the blanket. A few muttered words later, Hajime flew out the window and Shikamaru was left hoping that summons would be able to pass the barrier.

He flopped back down onto his bed, throwing an arm over his face.

_I'm so tired, _he thought, his mind fuzzy. He rolled over and tried to sleep, but, of course, it wasn't as if life would ever let him get comfortable.

Shikamaru suddenly noticed a minor disturbance in the air; it looked like a tiny heat wave, but only in front of him. His hands shot down to his weapons pouch and two kunai appeared just as a loud _crack _rang out, tearing the air apart.

Grinning at him like Cheshire cats, the red-haired twins from before appeared right in front of Shikamaru. But their looks of cheerful glee soon turned into ones of shock and horror when cold metal pressed itself into their throats. Shikamaru had acted on instinct born from years on the battlefield: never hesitate. Render the enemy useless before they do the same to you. Shikamaru had the twins frozen, unable to do a thing.

Once the jounin realised that no, they weren't here to kill him, he lowered the two kunai he held in both hands, looking at them warily. The twins were quick to recover, though.

"Hi, I'm Fred–"

"–and I'm George–"

"–and we're the Weasley twins!"

"It's a pleasure–"

"–to make your acquaintance!"

"Say, can you tell us how–"

"–to use those weird knife-y things you've got?"

But Shikamaru had other things in mind.

"Never appear like that in front of shinobi!" Shikamaru growled, his eyes glowering. "You scare me, I kill you!"

Fred and George glanced at each other, seemingly unapologetic, and shrugged.

"Hey, no need to wind your knickers in a knot," said Fred, holding up both palms in a false act of defeat. Shikamaru had immediately picked out the differences between the two in a quick analysis.

"Yeah, we're only here to welcome you into the hectic and boring life of being a servant to the Order," said George, pretending to clutch his heart in pain. Shikamaru stared at him. He didn't know what 'hectic' meant… maybe something melodramatic, if George's actions were of any indication.

"Oi! Fred! George! Come back here and help with cleaning! You can't expect us to do all of it!" shouted a voice from outside. Judging from the way the voice echoed and the gradual increase in volume, the owner was male and coming up the stairs. Probably in his teens; his voice had already broken, but it was still too high to really be called a man's. Going from the people he had already met, Shikamaru figured that it was highly likely that the voice belonged to the lanky boy.

"We're introducing ourselves!" Fred hollered back. "And have you learnt nothing, little brother? Don't expect us anywhere _near_ work!"

"Ron, just come back here!" snapped another voice. This one was female, mid-teens, and it was either the bushy-haired girl or the one with the long red hair. Probably the former.

The door of Shikamaru room–did the word 'privacy' mean nothing here?–was flung open with a loud bang and the Nara's guesses proved to be correct. In strode the lanky boy and closely at his heels, the girl with the brown hair. Both stopped when they saw Shikamaru sitting unconcernedly on the bed.

"O-oh, I'm so sorry," said the girl, flustered. "I–_we _didn't mean to barge in like this. It's terribly rude."

"I'll think nothing of it, but please, no matter how troublesome it may be for you, get the hell out of my room," said Shikamaru, waving his hand carelessly. He had picked up that excellent sentence from Black while the man had been talking mock-politely–with disgust marring his tone–to some weird little creature with bat-like ears about fifteen minutes before. Hearing it, the Nara had committed it to memory. The girl gaped at him wordlessly for a second and then managed to stutter out, "Of course. We'll–we'll just leave you be, then."

She grabbed the lanky boy by the arm, but with an artful look at Fred and George, got all three boys out. Shikamaru's eyes lingered on the door long after it closed, memories of home rushing in like a waterfall into the river below. Then, he shook his head to clear it, knowing that such things were not thought about during assignments such as this. When completing a mission, they were one's past, present and future. The mission came always, _always_ came first, and everything else was second.

That was the ninja way.

* * *

><p>"I understand not."<p>

"No, no. It goes like this: I _don't _understand."

"I don't understand."

"Yup, that's it."

Shikamaru sighed loudly and leaned back on the musty old armchair, running a hand down his face.

"Eng-rish very hard," he complained. Sirius Black rolled his eyes.

"Eng_lish_ _is _very hard," Black is patiently.

_"Mendokuse_. Eng-rish is very hard."

"No, no. Eng_lish_."

"Eng-rish."

"Eng_lish_."

"Eng-rish!"

"You gotta say the 'l'. Eng_lish._"

"They are same sound!"

Black groaned. "'L's and 'r's are two different sounds."

Shikamaru muttered something under his breath. The two were sitting down at the lounge and going over Shikamaru's English at Dumbledore's request. Black had immediately volunteered. Now, it was around mid-morning and Grimmauld Place was alive with the sounds of chirping, beeping and shrieking as the youngsters cleaned out the house, unearthing strange contraptions and whatnot.

"Black-san," Shikamaru asked, "what you do? Eh… job?"

"Job?" Black gave a bark of laughter. "I've been on the run for fourteen years."

"On the run?"

"Yeah. I'm an escaped criminal," Black said. Shikamaru blinked; he didn't look like a criminal, but then again, looks can be deceiving. Black's tone turned cool. "I was imprisoned for a crime I didn't commit."

"That is?"

"The murder of thirteen people and being the supporter of You-Know-Who," Black said. "I was framed. You know, falsely accused?"

Shikamaru nodded. "How you escape?"

Black shrugged. "I was in the wizarding prison Azkaban. Slipped out between the Dementors. Long story cut short, I was freed thanks for Harry's and Dumbledore's interventions and I've been hiding out in lots of different places for a year or so now."

"You dun look like killer," Shikamaru said. Black grinned at him.

"Yeah," Black said, rolling his shoulders. "I don't, eh?"

"What is 'You-Know-Who'?" Shikamaru asked, remembering the name. Black stared at him and then visibly reminded himself that Shikamaru wasn't from around here.

"Eh, he's the Darkest wizard to have ever lived," Black said. "About fifteen years ago, he reigned over the wizarding world. It was terrible, you know. People died everywhere, Muggles and magical alike. He had some pretty nasty allies; everything was a mess."

"Like war," Shikamaru said softly. He knew that war wreaked havoc everywhere as well. Black nodded.

"Yeah. In fact, it's called the First Wizarding War," Black said seriously. "It was a bad time for all of us. I don't suppose you've heard of Harry Potter?"

A shake.

"Well, Harry Potter is a very famous name around here. When he was only one, You-Know-Who sought out his family to kill them. He managed to murder his parents but for some reason, when You-Know-Who attempted to kill Harry, the spell he used, 'Avada Kedavra', backfired and hit the creep himself. Thus, You-Know-Who was left weakened and he fled.

"Many thought he died but Dumbledore had always believed that he was out there, biding his time, waiting for the right moment to return, and he did. You-Know-Who came back last year and Harry was there to witness it," Black finished. Then, his lip curled in disgust. "But the Ministry of Magic–the government–keep on denying it. They don't want to admit it because it'll create problems for all of us, but they just freakin' bastards anyway."

Shikamaru laughed. He hadn't understood the whole explanation–his English wasn't up to scratch just yet–but he had gotten the gist of it–enough to help him understand how the wizarding world's politics worked. The Nara then glanced over at Black again, deciding to re-evaluate his opinion of the convict.

Shikamaru had found Black to be pleasant company, but not in the sense that he was polite or anything. To outsiders, Black was a very hard person to be around. He exuded a certain air of arrogance. However, Shikamaru had long ago gotten used to that type of high-and-mighty atmosphere, considering he _had _been friends with Hyuuga Neji for many, many years now. Black was easy-going and he often liked to make jokes, but there was always that sense of danger tinted about him that unconsciously made others stay away. Black, having been a hunted man and withstood the presence of Dementors–Shikamaru _still _didn't know what they were–for twelve years, he knew how to survive and how to take care of himself. Shikamaru had seen the glint of _experience_ in Black's eyes and that was what counted.

"Ne, Black-san," Shikamaru asked offhandedly, "How old you are?"

Black glanced at him in surprise. "It's normally considered rude in our culture to ask things like that, but I don't really care. I'm thirty-four, but going on thirty-five this Autumn. And it's said: how old _are _you?"

Shikamaru grimaced and then Black continued, "How 'bout you?"

"Thirty on twenty-second of September," Shikamaru said. Black laughed.

"Only five years younger than me," he smiled. Shikamaru grinned back.

_"Urusai_, old bastard," said Shikamaru. "You have lady friend?"

Black made a face. "Nup. Single, and I'm staying single."

"Because you butt-ugly," Shikamaru mumbled. Black punched his arm lightly.

"Where are you picking up all these rude words, anyway?" Black asked in mock hurt.

"Eh… Fred and Georgeweasley-san go down and talks to me. Very loud," Shikamaru said.

"Go down and _talk _to me," Black amended. "And no wonder; Fred and George are famous for teaching newbies dirty tricks. Hell, they even taught garden gnomes how to swear!"

"What is garden gnome?" Shikamaru asked curiously.

"It's like a little thing that lives in the garden," Black said helpfully. Then, he said, "What what exactly _are_ you? You ain't a Muggle, that's for sure."

"I am shinobi," Shikamaru said, a hint of pride in his voice. "Ninja."

"A ninja?" Black raised an eyebrow skeptically. "Don't ninjas wear black all the time or something?"

Shikamaru frowned, not used to the word 'ninja' with an 's' at the end. "No. Shinobi no wear black; but is good colour."

"Prove it," Black all but commanded. Shikamaru glanced at him and muttered, _"Mendokuse," _under his breath.

"Come on," Black said, a grin twisting his face.

_"Hai, hai…" _Shikamaru stood up, stretching for a second, and then hesitantly walked up the wall.

Black's eyes widened as he stared in awe at the jounin.

"Awesome," he said softly.

"Hai, I show mine, you show yours," Shikamaru said, flipping back down to his feet and sitting again.

"Magic?" said Black. His lips curved up. "Alright then. What shall I show you?"

"Anything," Shikamaru shrugged. He sat back down on the couch again, his eyes trained on the twig–no, wand–that Black had pulled out.

"Reducto!"

Shikamaru jumped when there was a bright flash of light and all of a sudden, there was a large hole at his feet. The wood underneath had completely burned away.

_"Sugoi," _Shikamaru said softly; his mind was clicking, analysing everything.

"So, what do ninjas actually _do_?" Black asked, stowing his wand away and gazing at the Nara with interest.

"Don't put 's' at the end of 'ninja' or 'shinobi'," Shikamaru reprimanded. "Sound wrong; bad."

"_You're _lecturing me in English?" Black laughed. Shikamaru cracked a smile.

_"Ano… _shinobi get hired out for missions," Shikamaru said, answering his former question. "Um… like mercenaries?"

"Mercenaries?" Black said. His eyebrows trekked downwards. "Don't they kill people and stuff?"

"Eh, _hai. _We kill people for money, but we do other thing," said Shikamaru carelessly. Whoops, maybe that came out a little wrong. He saw Black's eyes turn judging.

"I see," Black finally said. "Well, I guess that's your culture so I won't say anything. It doesn't mean I approve, though."

Shikamaru's eyes crinkled at the corners. "Thank you, Black-san."

"Just call me Sirius," Black said. "'Black-san' makes me feel old."

Shikamaru chuckled. "Alright, Si-lius-sempai. But call me Shikamaru too."

"We have to work on your pronunciation," Sirius said. "My name ain't 'Si-lius', Shikamaru. And what the hell is a 'sempai'?"

"Sempai is word for 'senior'. And you say my name wrong too!" Shikamaru scolded. "Shi-kah-mah-ru. Not 'Shee-kaa-maa-ru'."

"Same difference."

"No, it is not!"

"Sounds the same to me."

"Si-lius-sempai!"

"Hey! Shee-kaa-maa-ru."

"You do on purpose."

"You did it on purpose too, you hypocrite!"

"I don't understand what a 'hee-poh-crit' is…"

* * *

><p>The names will change from last to first at times. It depends on the POV of the character I'm writing in. For example, if it's in Shikamaru's POV, then he will refer to Harry as 'Potter', coz he doesn't call him ''Harry'. Likewise, because Harry wouldn't be close to Shikamaru, he'll call Shikamaru 'Nara', because apparently (if I'm going by the Harry Potter series) the English call people they're not close to by their last names. It's the same with the Japanese. However, once on a first-name basis, they will refer to them by their first names. Understand? Good.<p>

Updated: 28 March 2012


	4. Introductions into the Circle

Everybody really liked the scene with Sirius and Shikamaru. Thank you very much; I had fun writing it as well ;D

Thank you to Spider's Thread, aggy's mangopulp, Popcorn, virginger, Furionknight, SiriusBalisticPretzels, Lupin and Tonks Forever, Cadens Stella, bookwormqueen7, asredwer, hello-totoro-ninja, The Sixth Sense, Flower in the River, TrenchcoatMan, NyxLilium, Miko Potter, Damatris, person, Palace of Venus, Soul-co, KrC, c3xv-011, TemaxShika forever, Masked Bard of Chaos and Nerd4ever243 for reviewing.

To a reviewer to asked if Neji was dead:

I'm not sure why you would think that, seeing as Neji appeared as an ANBU in the first chapter. But just to clarify: no, he's not dead.

Chapter Four: Introductions into the Circle

* * *

><p>Eyes. Wide, wide, wide eyes, seeing nothing, looking at nothing; they were just two lumps of something embedded in the woman's skull. No, she wasn't even a woman yet, still young enough to be called a girl.<p>

Blood. Red, red, red blood, spraying the ground and spreading across the dirt like spilled water… except this wasn't water. It was blood; so red, so gleaming, so _bright._

That body. That limp, limp, limp body. Rough, callused hands picked it up, cradling the small frame. The tiny, fragile, body lolled in his arms, so helpless.

"Wake up. Come on, Yuuki, wake up."

The words were fervent, whispered, so full of regret and pain and sorrow.

"Come on, wake up."

Shaking. Was the body shaking, or was it the hands? He couldn't tell. Suddenly, Yuuki's body started to wobble, shimmering in and out of existence. Why? What was happening now? Was it a genjutsu?

Clear crystal droplets splashed down on the girl's face. Her stone-cold, hard and emotionless face. What was it? Oh right, tears… Who was crying?

_Me, _he thought numbly. _I'm the one crying. How stupid… crying over a corpse._

But the eyes, oh god, the eyes… they gazed at him. _You killed me, you filthy shit of a captain. You killed me. Now I will never see my family again. I hate you. This is all _your_ fault._

"Not my fault."

_But of course it was your fault._

"I didn't mean to."

_You were the one who led her on this mission._

"I'm sorry."

_That's not going to bring her back, is it?_

Her eyes were staring at him.

"It's my fault."

Hands. The hands holding her were covered in a scarlet substance. Blood. Why was blood everywhere? The palms glistened and the blood under the nails had already dried, crusting it like baked pastry.

Accusation; that was what her eyes said, and they were wide and full of innocence and he was the one who killed her and now she would never live out her life it was all his fault he was the one who killed her he killed her he killed her _I killed her_–

"Mr Nara!"

Shikamaru jerked and he shot up, gasping for breath, his chest heaving. Wild-eyed, he stared frantically at his hands, thinking for a second that it would be covered in that horrible liquid, thinking that the blood would be under his nails and dripping down his arms and–

"Mr Nara?"

An adolescent, female, _naïve _voice brought Shikamaru out of his demented stupor, and he dimly noticed that sweat was running down his brow and the sides of his face, and he hastily wiped it away. He blinked, noticing that he had an audience for the first time.

The bushy-haired teen–the one who called his name–was staring at him with slightly frightened eyes. She was clutching the arm of the lanky redheaded boy; he looked like he wanted to be anywhere but here.

"S-sorry," she spluttered. "But, um, Mrs Weasley just wanted us to tell you that lunch is ready. So–so we came up here to–"

"Sank you," Shikamaru cut across her, trying to even his breathing. He screwed up his face, trying to word his next sentence correctly, like Sirius had taught him. "I come down soon."

"Alright, we'll see you then," said the girl. She made to go, but the boy hesitated.

"Are you alright?" the boy asked. Shikamaru blinked–at the back of his mind, he was pleased to note that he had calmed himself down, though his heart was thumping uncontrollably–and regarded the teen with a careful scrutiny. His next sentence was notably warmer when he spoke.

"I alright, sank you for asking," said Shikamaru, giving him a small smile. "A–what you call it?–bad vision, yeah."

"A nightmare," the girl said. "A bad dream, right?"

"Yes, nightmare. Sank you," said Shikamaru. The two of them grinned, but it was wary. "Eh, what is your names?"

"I'm Hermione Granger," said the girl.

"Ron Weasley."

"I am Shikamaru Nara," said the jounin. "Just call me Shikamaru." Sirius had told him about the way the names were said in English. "Pleasure to meet you."

"You too," said Hermione. Her face took on a kinder expression. "We'll see you downstairs."

After the two left, Shikamaru slumped back down onto his pillows, heaving a shaky sigh. The nightmare was still vivid in his mind, the colours and scents all too real.

_"Nightmare, ka?" _Shikamaru mumbled. _"If only that were so."_

* * *

><p>Hermione had felt cautious and guarded when she entered Mr Nara's room, but all those feelings disappeared once she saw the twitching body and the pained, tortured expression on his face. After Mrs Weasley had told her to go and tell him to come down and eat, Ron had muttered, "But what if he's a paedophile or something?" and at which Hermione had whacked him over the head with a rolled-up newspaper. Nevertheless, Hermione <em>was <em>grateful for the company Ron provided; going into a fully-grown man's room–let alone a stranger's–was a bit intimidating.

Going quietly up the stairs, she and Ron had paused when they heard a sharp intake of breath. Glancing at one another, they reached the landing Mr Nara's room was in and gently knocked. Nobody answered and they both could clearly hear soft murmurings on the other side. There was a choked gasp and Hermione, not caring about privacy, pushed the door open, and she and Ron stumbled in.

What she didn't expect to find was Mr Nara tossing around in his bed, sweat covering his face and his teeth clenched together. Without warning, his hand rose up, and it looked like he was staring at it–except he was still asleep. His fingers drifted in front of his face and then they started to shake.

"Mr Nara," she said loudly. He continued to dream. "Mr Nara!"

With a sudden start, the man bolted upwards, his eyes flying open. For the first second or so, he stared at his hand with a crazed look on his face, and then, as if he had sensed them, his face turned towards Hermione and Ron.

That was about half an hour ago, and Mr Nara–Shikamaru–_still _hadn't come down from his room.

"He's a nutcase," Ron said quietly. Hermione threw him a withering glare.

"Really, Ronald," Hermione snapped, "Everyone dreams, you know."

"Reminds me of Harry," Ron continued, seemingly oblivious to what his friend had just said. "You know, how his scar hurts and all."

"That's different," Hermione insisted. "And are you implying that Harry's a nutcase?"

"No, of course not!" Ron protested. Hermione was prevented from replying when Mrs Weasley appeared behind them, her eyes worried.

"I do hope Mr Nara is coming down soon," she said. "I really don't want to start without him."

Everyone was seated around the table, laughing and joking around. Sirius, Fred and George were huddled in the corner; Lupin and Tonks sat together, chatting amiably; Mr Weasley had returned from work and was telling Ginny about his day. Hermione surveyed the scene and played with her sleeve.

Finally, she heard the door opening, and as if on cue, the whole table hushed down. All gazes were on the landing in which the mysterious man would appear–Shikamaru.

Finally, with silent footsteps, he came into view. The spiky black hair, the strange clothing, all was there. But Shikamaru had purple bags under his eyes, the result of the nightmare, and his skin was still rather pale. All the same, he stared at the gathering, and said nothing but, "Yo."

That broke the tension that coated the room, and the occupants relaxed, smiled and welcomed him. Hermione could tell that he was a little taken-aback by the hospitality–though everyone was still suspicious around him, and Shikamaru obviously knew that–but he accepted it in good graces.

"I don't believe you've met Tonks?" Mrs Weasley said, smiling at him. The woman–whose hair was dull orange today–waved, and said, "Wotcher."

* * *

><p>Shikamaru tried not to show how uneasy he was by the niceness of everyone, and he sat down between the one called Lupin and the man called Arthur Weasley. Molly Weasley waved her wand, and Shikamaru tried not to react when he saw the flying pots and bowls of food drifting towards them.<p>

After Hermione and Ron had gone back down, Shikamaru had stayed in his bed, staring up at the ceiling for what felt like half an hour. Though he tried not to, the memory kept replaying itself, reminding him of the things he had done like some masochistic inner movie theatre in his brain. He just couldn't get rid of them.

He poked the food queasily, running chakra through the plate and pieces of meat almost without thinking as he checked for toxins. It was a habit picked up from many VIP guarding missions; he had almost been poisoned a few times. One time, he actually had been, and it was only by convenience and luck that they had gotten him to Konoha Hospital and Sakura had been able to heal him in time.

The jounin couldn't help but think that everyone was incredibly twitchy today. True, he _had _been holed up in his room for the past few days, only coming down to eat and practice his English with Sirius, and he had avoided contact with the kids, but he could still tell something was up. He was a little out of it.

"What is going on?" Shikamaru asked curiously to Sirius, who was sitting opposite him.

"My godson is coming," Sirius beamed. Shikamaru hadn't seen the man so happy before.

"He is special, yes?" Shikamaru asked.

"Yup. He's my best friend's son, and I'm his godfather. Basically, I take care of him if anything happens to his parents," Sirius explained.

"Ah, what happened to his parents?"

"They're dead."

Those two words were bitter, and as the conversation had progressed, Sirius' face had turned sadder.

"Who killed them?"

The question was blunt, but Shikamaru could tell by simply looking at Sirius' face that their deaths weren't ordinary. However, Sirius still looked at Shikamaru in surprise, before saying shortly, "Murdered."

"Ah."

Shikamaru decided to leave it at that; the others were looking at him strangely, and he turned back to his food. Some mushy stuff called 'ma-shoe-deh poh-tay-toh' and 'stay-ku'.

"Steak," Sirius said, his lips curving into a grin, "not 'stay-ku'."

Apart from Sirius, nobody else really talked to Shikamaru.

"Stay-ku," Shikamaru repeated.

"Don't put '-ku' at the end," Sirius said. "Just 'steak'."

"Stea-keh," Shikamaru tried again. God, he hated English.

"Better," Sirius allowed. Hermione had picked up on their conversation, and she leaned in, dangerous curiosity gleaming in her eyes.

"So, where exactly are you from, Mr–I mean–Shikamaru?" Hermione asked.

"Um… Shinobi Nations," Shikamaru said uncomfortably. "Sometimes call Hidden Countries." He hoped that the witch would take the hint. She did.

"Oh, so I suppose it's hidden, isn't it," said Hermione, looking disappointed.

"Yes," Shikamaru smiled. "You better than others; they a-rays ask 'Where?' Don't understand it is _hidden._"

"You're getting your 'l's and 'r's mixed up again," Sirius cut in. "Always, not 'a-rays'."

Shikamaru gave a frustrated sigh. "Sound the same."

"It's not, and before, your pronunciation for 'mashed potato' was incorrect as well," Hermione said.

"Ma-shoe-deh poh-tay-toh," Shikamaru said.

As Hermione attempted to correct him, Fred, George, and Ginny left the table, intending to do some 'sibling stuff' (which sounded highly suspicious), and Shikamaru noticed out of the corner of his eye some movement outside. He heard the now-familiar thumping sounds and concluded that it was Moody coming in. It could be a fake, though… And his paranoid ninja mind was on the loose again. Nevertheless…

"Do you have password?" Shikamaru asked. His question had been intended for Sirius, but Arthur Weasley was the one who answered.

"No, we don't," he said.

"You should," Shikamaru said seriously. "What if comrade is double? Bad security, Ar-turweasley-san."

"Call me Arthur," he said.

"Ar-tur-san."

"So, you mean if they use Polyjuice Potion or something?" Arthur frowned, going back to Shikamaru's earlier point. He scratched his balding head, his fork dropping on his plate with a clang. Shikamaru had initially thought that the knife was a blunt kunai and the fork a stabbing instrument when he had first seen the pieces of cutlery. "Well, I suppose that _is _a scenario we'd best avoid. But I don't think someone would go _that _far to impersonate our members. The Order of the Phoenix isn't a widespread group, anyway. Many of the affiliates are secret; the public don't know that they're a part of the Order."

"But still, it is possibility," Shikamaru pressed on, just as Moody stumped through the door, his black cloak flapping from the breeze.

"Hate to say it, but Nara's got a point there," Moody growled. Mrs Weasley–she had insisted he call her Molly–smiled at him from the table.

"Mad-Eye! Come join us for lunch," Molly Weasley called.

"Can't," Moody said, "it's getting late, so we should get going."

He turned back to Shikamaru, who was looking at him coolly. "You a tactician?"

"Yes," said Shikamaru. "Used to be the Chief Strategist of village, after my father."

Moody snorted. "Got privileges, did you?"

Shikamaru bristled, not liking the way the scarred man worded it.

"I get there by skill and hard work," Shikamaru said coldly. "My father is nothing to do with it. Actually, he get angry if Hokage-sama let it affect overall decision."

Moody merely grunted, his bright blue eye spinning in its socket, and turned to Tonks and Lupin.

"Alright, you two. Let's get going," Moody said. "It'll take us a while to fly there."

Both adults rose from the table and gave the others small smiles.

"We'll be back soon," said Lupin.

"With Harry," Tonks chipped in brightly. She then promptly tripped over the leg of a chair and only by Lupin pulling the back of her robes did she avoid a nasty fall. Moody sighed and then mumbled something unflattering under his breath.

"You want go with them?" Shikamaru asked, noting Sirius' bleak face. He jumped, having been lost in thought.

"Huh? Oh," Sirius said sheepishly. "You noticed, eh?"

"Obvious," Shikamaru pointed out.

"I've been stuck in this house for a while," said Sirius sourly. "I want to get out and help."

"Sometimes, best way to help is stay out of way," Shikamaru commented. He pushed his plate away, not wanting to eat the heavy food anymore. He wanted rice, Goddammit! Even freakin' ramen was better than this.

"So they all say," Sirius sighed. Shikamaru regarded him sympathetically, knowing exactly how the man felt. A ninja cooped up isn't a happy one, and Shikamaru had been in that situation too many times for his liking.

The Nara tugged on his vest, pushing a scroll that had been peeking out back into its pocket again. The sight of the scroll reminded Shikamaru that he had a missing-nin to hunt, and hell, he wasn't going to stay around in this musty house for a month doing nothing.

"I go outside," Shikamaru said, getting up from the table. Bones cracked as they popped back into place and Shikamaru massaged his neck. Sirius' eyes turned hopeful.

"Take me with you," he said. "I want to go outside."

"No, Sirius," Molly Weasley said sharply. "You know Dumbledore's orders."

"Why not? Only for little bit," said Shikamaru. There were two reasons why he was defending Sirius. One, because he liked the man, and two, because he wasn't on good terms with Dumbledore, and Shikamaru wanted–childish though it may seem–to do something to defy the old coot, even if it was something as small as letting Sirius out. "I take care."

Molly Weasley eyed Shikamaru beadily. "No."

Shikamaru rolled his eyes. "Si-lius-sempai, we go out."

Sirius' smile split his face, and he leapt up eagerly from his chair. Molly Weasley started to protest, but was drowned out by Hermione.

"Oh, but Sirius–" Hermione began, looking worried, but Ron interrupted her by saying, "Come on, Hermione, just let him out for a bit."

Hermione fell silent, biting her lip. Then, she crossed her arms, looking bad-tempered. Shikamaru took that as consent and he went out of the kitchen and down the hallway, Sirius bouncing along like an excited puppy.

He reached the heavy, falling-apart door and wretched it open. Warm sunlight fell on his face, heating his skin and illuminating the dust that stirred up behind him. By his side, Sirius laughed, and then, without warning, Shikamaru found himself staring at a large black dog the size of Akamaru.

"Gah!" he yelped, leaping outside and tightening his hold on the kunai that had appeared in his hand. The dog stared at him in surprise–it had unexpectedly intelligent-looking eyes–and then began coughing. Well, it _sounded _like coughing, but Shikamaru had the sneaking suspicion that it was laughing at him. He wasn't exactly well-versed in the art of deciphering doggy noises, but still, that gut feeling…

The canine probably _was _laughing at him. Stupid dog… but then, it clicked. The answer came amazingly slow for someone of Shikamaru's intelligence.

"Si-lius-sempai?" Shikamaru said hesitantly. The mutt–er–dog, barked happily, confirming Shikamaru's guess. His mouth dropped open. "You a… um… woof-woof!"

The dog looked at him again, and then the coughing came back, but this time louder. Again, Shikamaru had that niggling thought that Sirius was laughing at him, and this time, harder than before.

_"Urusai," _Shikamaru muttered. "This magic making me confusing." Great, now it sounded as if he was talking to himself. He came down the front steps of Grimmauld Place, and Sirius the Dog padded towards him. "We go along this street, yes?"

Shikamaru set off, leaving Grimmauld Place behind. He dug his hands into the pockets of his black pants, and with Sirius in this form the jounin could have been any normal, weirdly dressed civilian walking his dog. Shikamaru was grateful for the cover that brought.

_He really hasn't been outside for a while, has he? _Shikamaru thought, watching Sirius chase after pigeons and growling playfully. He continued along the street–Grimmauld Place was now far, far behind–and looked at the sky pensively. There were no clouds. _Troublesome…_

The pair wandered for about three hours but met nothing out of the ordinary, though Shikamaru _did _find some amusement when Sirius got so excited about scaring another couple of cats that he started chasing his own tail. Once, when passing an alleyway, Shikamaru spotted something that made his life a bit more bearable.

A shiny, metallic silver rock protruded from the wall of the alleyway. It was about the size of a fist, but engraved on the rock were the characters:

THREE-QUARTERS

Shikamaru knew that it was connected to the rock that had sent him here and was comforted by the fact that if anything went wrong, he always knew where to go if he wanted to go home. This rock would send him back to the Shinobi Nations.

Sirius gave him a perplexed whine and Shikamaru grinned at his friend, but didn't say anything. The pair headed back, darkness enveloping them in its warm embrace. The streetlights had flickered on, illuminating the night.

Walking back was quick and Shikamaru sighed in relief when he saw Grimmauld Place looming out to greet him; he had been afraid that he had gotten lost. He reached the house, went up the steps and opened the creaky door. Sirius trotted in and Shikamaru followed, closing the door behind him.

"Sirius!" cried a voice. Hermione materialised into view, her eyes wide and anxious. Sirius barked at her and then transformed back into a man.

"I'm fine, Hermione," he said, clapping her shoulder. "But the walk out was excellent."

Shikamaru noticed that Sirius' cheeks were pinker, and his eyes were brighter and more cheerful. The walk really _had _done him good. They shuffled down the hallway and into the kitchen where Molly Weasley was cleaning the windows.

"Oh, Sirius, you made it back," she said in clear relief. Shikamaru made a noise.

"I told you I take care, Mollyweasley-san," he said.

"Molly," she said, "call me Molly. And yes, I can see that you have looked after him."

Her tone was still a tad disapproving.

"I'm not a child, you know," Sirius grumbled. His eyes flitted around the room. "Ain't the Advance Guard back yet?"

"No," said Arthur, looking up from his newspaper. "But they should be, give or take ten minutes."

"Why need protect?" Shikamaru asked.

"You-Know-Who could be lurking anywhere," Sirius said darkly.

"You-Know-Who real name?" Shikamaru said. Even his limited English allowed him to know that 'You-Know-Who' as a name was extremely strange.

Ron, who had been listening to their conversation, blanched. "You don't say it around here," he said in a low voice.

"Why?" Shikamaru said. "Taboo?"

"In a way, yes," said Hermione. "The name is feared; people don't like to–"

"Voldemort," Sirius said. He was staring hard at Shikamaru. "His name is Voldemort."

Ron and Hermione both squeaked, and Molly and Arthur both glanced up from whatever they were doing, their mouths agape. But Shikamaru merely looked back at Sirius, his face contemplative.

* * *

><p><em>It's logical that Kako could be working for Voldemort, <em>Shikamaru thought, _but why, though? Voldemort could have also hired her, but there is no indication that he would need her help. It's also possible, though, and considering the circumstances, highly likely._

The jounin was in his room, his head in his hands, trying to think, to predict. Unfortunately, it seemed like his genius had deserted him for the day.

Shikamaru groaned and buried his face into the pillow, wanting to scream. This was going _nowhere._

Fantastic; he had only been stuck in this house for three days and he was already going nuts from lack of activity.

The sound of the door opening alerted Shikamaru back to grimness. Collecting himself, he went down to greet the famous Harry Potter. He wasn't sure what to expect but decided to just wait and see before forming any theories.

He stepped into the hallway just in time to see Molly ushering a teenage boy towards him. All the Order members who had escorted him had disappeared into the kitchen. The boy saw him and his eyes widened comically before Molly pushed him up the stairs, and at the same time, Moody's voice growled out, "Nara, come in here."

Shikamaru turned and walked through the kitchen door and saw quite a number of people gathered there. Tonks, Lupin, Moody, Arthur, Sirius, Bill, a dark-skinned man, a stern-looking woman, Dumbledore, some man with greasy black hair and a pile of rags in the corner. Again, the analysis came.

Dark-skinned man–valuable

Stern-looking woman–valuable

Greasy-haired man–valuable

Pile of rags (which Shikamaru had identified as a person)–valuable, but not as a fighter

Shikamaru made no attempt at a greeting but merely dropped into a chair next to Sirius, the only one whom Shikamaru could actually call a friend. Molly hurried in a few seconds later and the door closed.

"Right," said the greasy-haired man, throwing a contemptuous look at Shikamaru, "this is the plan for the Department of Mysteries where the prophecy is hidden–" he spread out a map, which Shikamaru couldn't make head or tail of "–and the prophecy is there. Now, I believe that we should have…"

As the man babbled on and on, Shikamaru noticed that this group, the Order of the Phoenix, was highly impressive. They had enormous resources and many of its members were planted within the Ministry as spies. They seemed to know exactly what they were doing, and as the meeting progressed, everyone's faces were serious and without a hint of humour.

"But that's too easy," Sirius argued. "It would be way too obvious."

"Then what do you suggest, Black?" the man called Snape sneered. "We have no other choice. If we don't post a guard there, then getting past the door would be child's play."

Sirius and Snape liked to quarrel a lot.

Shikamaru wanted to join in the discussion. These kinds of things, after all, were his specialty, but his lack of knowledge of the wizarding world limited his suggestions, so he opted to remain silent. Partway through the meeting, Shikamaru thought he heard raised voices upstairs, but because of the vastness of the house, it was hard to tell.

Finally, the Nara sensed that the meeting was drawing to a close and all the scrolls and instruments that littered the table was swept up and taken away. The attention was turned on him.

"So this is Shikamaru Nara?" asked the dark-skinned man. Kingsley was his name.

"Nara Shikamaru," Shikamaru muttered under his breath.

"Yes. He has claimed that there is an enemy hidden within Hogwarts' walls," Dumbledore said, speaking up for the first time. He looked decidedly weary. "He is a shinobi, one from the Shinobi Nations."

Shikamaru tapped on the metal plate sewed onto his sleeve, his village's symbol flashing. "Konoha," he said simply, "the Village Hidden in the Leaves."

"And what," said the woman called Minerva McGonagall, "are you doing here?"

"Find missing-nin," he said, pulling out the photo of Ohayashi Kako, "kill her, go home."

McGonagall's thin eyebrows pulled together. "Kill her? Whatever for?"

"She is danger to us," Shikamaru said. "Is simple elimination."

"And what is wrong with simply putting her in prison?" Kingsley asked. Shikamaru raised an incredulous eyebrow.

"No. Loyalty to village is absolute. If loyalty is forfeit, then it is punish by death. Missing-nin leak Village secrets to other Hidden Villages; very bad, very wrong. A ninja without a village is like a man without a name."

"You spoke a grammatically correct sentence," Sirius murmured under his breath in mock wonder. Shikamaru resisted the urge to punch his shoulder.

"We will not question the ways of shinobi," Dumbledore said as he saw his colleagues open their mouths to protest. "Mr Nara will be allowed to go to Hogwarts to seek out the missing-nin he is hunting. After he takes care of her, he will go home. It is plain and simple. I have allowed him to attend this Order meeting to further his knowledge."

"But what if it is a trap?" Snape demanded. "What if he is one of the Dark Lord's little undercover moles?"

"I no use magic," Shikamaru said. "No wand. I tell you; I am shinobi, not wizard."

"He is," Sirius said. "He demonstrated for me."

"Demonstrate again," Snape said.

_"Mendokuse," _Shikamaru muttered, but he complied. _"Henge no Jutsu!"_

With a puff of smoke, sitting in Shikamaru's place was a perfect copy of Snape, though everyone was sure that the _real _Snape wouldn't be lounging about so carelessly with that bored look on his face. With another _poof_, Shikamaru changed back.

"And that concludes the meeting," Dumbledore said abruptly. Shikamaru saw that the old man seemed to be in a hurry, and everyone else was giving each other confused looks. "Same time next week."

The sounds of scraping chairs echoed and many of the Order left, though a few stayed sitting, presumably to eat dinner. Shikamaru didn't turn around at first when he had the many footsteps indicating that the kids were coming down, but when one set paused, Shikamaru smirked and twisted his neck to gaze at the bespectacled boy staring in curiosity at him.

Dark hair, perpetually messy, covered his head, and underneath his fringe, Shikamaru saw a scar in the shape of a lightning bolt.

* * *

><p>Updated: 28 April 2012<p> 


	5. Only Friend

I've realised that I haven't said the disclaimer for this story yet.

Disclaimer: I do not own _Harry Potter _or _Naruto_. They belong to J.K Rowling and Masashi Kishimoto respectively. However, though I don't own the characters or the worlds, I _do _claim ownership to this fic, more specifically the plot (though I don't get any money from it, either). Even if this is fanfiction, I'm still rather proud of this story.

This chapter is more or less a filler, but I suppose it's an important filler, in a way.

Thank you to the reviewers: NyxLilium, Flower in the River, hello-totoro-ninja, NakedKing, ladyyuki16, TrenchcoatMan, Furionknight, SiriusBalisticPretzels, Nerd4ever243, DeathBySugarCube, asredwer, Just Call Me Tofu, Miko Potter, Torn Apart Paper Dinosaur, Temaxshika Forever, Veronyka18 and AnarchistMongoose.

Chapter Five: Only Friend

* * *

><p>Harry gasped, trying to breathe as his godfather squeezed the life out of him. He was pretty sure his ribs were cracking under the strain.<p>

"Si-lius-sempai, let kid go."

That unfamiliar voice made Sirius release him, to Harry's relief, and instead the older man gazed at Harry's face, presumably checking for signs of wear and tear.

"Hey, Sirius," said Harry. Now that the shock was over, happiness and warmth bubbled into Harry's chest as he looked at his godfather's grinning face.

"Come on, sit down," Sirius said. It was then Harry saw the newcomer. A strange green jacket, black shirt and pants, spiky hair in a ponytail, two earrings and a metal plate sewn onto his sleeve.

"Harry," Bill said from his place at the table. "Good to see you."

"Same, Bill," Harry called back.

"Ah, Harry, this is Shikamaru Nara," said Sirius, gesturing to the weirdly clothed man. "Just call him Shikamaru."

So this was the ninja that Hermione and Ron were telling Harry about. Apparently, George and Fred managed to eavesdrop on the meeting when Shikamaru first arrived.

"Shi-kah-mah-ru," the man snapped. "Told you before, not 'Shee-kaa-maa-ru'."

"I'll say your name right if you say mine right," Sirius said, his lips twitching into a smile.

"No fair. I no can say your name, but you say mine wrong on purpose," Shikamaru scowled. Watching their bantering, Harry felt a tiny prick of jealously in his heart. This emotion surprised him; why was he feeling jealous?

Harry supposed it was because he was always used to being the first one in Sirius' heart. He was the most important thing, and Sirius would always pay attention to him. But now Harry saw that Sirius had an actual friend–apart from Lupin–and their acquaintance with each other was something Harry would never have with his godfather.

Shaking his thoughts away, Harry tried to feel happy for his godfather and merely grinned at Shikamaru, who gave a lazy, informal salute back with two fingers, and settled between Ron and Sirius. Harry was still feeling a little guilty over his yelling spree, but only a little bit.

The man called Mundungus was telling one of his stories to Fred and George, who were roaring with laughter in the corner.

"An' then," Mundungus chortled, wiping away tears of mirth from his eyes, "'e said summin' 'bout–"

'Mundungus, I'd appreciate you _not _sharing your experiences around the dinner table," Mrs Weasley said, her hands on her hips. Harry chuckled at Fred and George's disappointed expressions as Mundungus hastily apologized and fell quiet.

* * *

><p>Harry Potter–useless<p>

Shikamaru frowned, then shook his head and changed it.

Harry Potter–has potential

* * *

><p>Shikamaru watched the chattering magical folk, and then rose from his seat and went over to the witch.<p>

_Might as well, _he grumbled to himself.

"I help," he said. "I help with dinner."

Molly blinked. "Oh, well, that would be lovely," she said. "Thank you very much."

Shikamaru's mother had taught him his manners well. 'Taught', meaning she beat the shit out of him if he didn't do it properly.

He passed the plates around and then went back for the cutlery. Some of the wizards expressed surprise, seeing that Shikamaru wasn't using magic to aid himself.

"Lazy," Shikamaru told Ron. Like he was one to talk. "Nothing wrong with going back to kitchen and bringing out stuff. Anyway, I no use magic."

"You're not someone with a magical core?" Hermione said, her mouth dropping open. "But then it would be impossible for you to be in this house."

Shikamaru sighed. How many times did he have to say this? Sirius, seeing this, smirked and said it for him.

"Shikamaru is a ninja," Sirius reminded her. "They're not Muggles, you know."

The jounin shot Sirius a grateful look.

"Do they have ranks in your village?" Sirius asked. Shikamaru nodded, glad to be able to talk about something else.

"Yes. We have ranks. Lowest is Academy student: child who is still learning to be shinobi. They start around five, graduate twelve. Then, when graduate, they are genin. If genin pass Chunin Exams, become chunin. If chunin pass Jounin Exam, become jounin. Three types of jounin: normal jounin, Jounin Commander and Tokubetsu Jounin. Once qualified as jounin, allowed to be in charge of three-man genin squad."

"And what are you?" Harry asked.

"Jounin. Naruto–eh–Hokage-sama wanted me Jounin Commander, but I decline. Too troublesome," Shikamaru said. "But I have three-man team. Just graduate to chunin." A proud smile lit up his face.

Sirius saw this and he grinned. "Just like your kids, eh?"

Shikamaru nodded. "Yes. Extended family. I have two kids."

"Really? How old?" Sirius asked. He was intrigued, realising now that he had never bothered to learn Shikamaru's personal history.

"Daughter ten, son twelve. He almost graduate Academy. Be a genin soon," Shikamaru said. "Both children be shinobi. Michiko is Academy student."

"Is your wife also a ninja?" Sirius asked. Hermione, Ron and Harry were simply staring back and forth, listening in on the conversation instead of joining in.

Shikamaru hesitated and his smile faded for a second. "Yes, Temari is kunoichi. Also jounin instructor. Her students graduate to chunin one year before."

He unconsciously fell into a brooding silence.

"You alright?" Sirius asked in concern. Sirius was a very observant individual, despite his rough looks.

"Eh? Yes, I is alright," Shikamaru said, flashing him a grin.

"I _am _alright," said Hermione, breaking the silence.

Shikamaru muttered, _"Mendokuse," _and repeated, "I am alright."

All five of them glanced up as the pots of Molly's cooking danced onto the table. Literally. Shikamaru wondered why nothing spilled. He raised an eyebrow when the saltshaker started doing the can-can in front of him, and slammed his hand down onto it. The saltshaker gave some sort of squeak and stopped. A bowl of soup was doing something that looked like the tango with the salad in the middle, and Ginny was laughing at it while Ron looked on, amused.

Dinner passed without incident, the room filled with mumblings and occasional outbursts of laughter. Finally, when everyone–not including Shikamaru–started to feel sleepy and their heads were filled with fuzzy thoughts, Sirius destroyed that atmosphere with a sudden, "You know, Harry, I admit that I am quite surprised at the fact that you _didn't _run into this place screaming bloody murder because you were stuck with Muggles for a whole month without any good, solid information at what was going on in the Order."

Shikamaru choked on his drink, and, coughing, he pried open his watery eyes to see the whole table staring at Sirius like he was some nutcase.

"Nice," the Nara muttered. The tension in the room was so thick that Shikamaru could have cut it with a blunt kunai. He felt a sudden impulse to try.

"W-well, I tried to get it out of Hermione and Ron, but they said they weren't in the Order and didn't know a thing," Harry said, his tone resentful. "But believe me, I would like to do the details."

"Okay… so… what would you like to know?" Sirius asked.

"Wait," Molly said, her voice just a tad angry. "Wait just a minute. Harry's only fifteen."

"So?" Sirius asked. He eyed Molly coolly, and underneath the table, his hands clenched into fists. Shikamaru gave him a warning glance, but it was ignored.

"Don't tell him anymore than he needs to know," Molly said. She jerked her chin up. "There are some things better kept in the dark."

"I couldn't agree more," said Sirius.

This unexpected truce made the others' mouths drop open in shock. Lupin glanced from Molly to Sirius and back to Molly again, but apparently there would be no fight tonight.

"Well," said Bill, and his voice was relieved, "Ginny has to go. She's too young."

"Wait a sec!" Ginny said in disbelief, "That's not fair! I'm only a year younger!"

"A year younger is a lot, Ginnyweasley-san," Shikamaru said gently.

He was reminded of his daughter Michiko. When she was little, she had always wanted to go with Hotaka when he practiced his shuriken throwing. Her reasoning was always, "But I'm only two years younger than Hotaka-nii-san!" But the first time she managed to get her hands on a shuriken, she had promptly sliced her hand apart. That didn't stop her from laughing hysterically about it though, and demanding that she try again. Shikamaru sometimes wondered if she was masochistic.

Shikamaru fought to wipe the smile from his face, though his eyes still retained their cheer. Thankfully, no one noticed the jounin in his small bubble of happiness.

"I need know things as well," Shikamaru butted in. "Help me find missing-nin."

"Alright," said Arthur, nodding. "We'll be happy to fill you in."

Shikamaru inclined his head in thanks.

As Harry started the interrogation, Shikamaru forced himself to listen, knowing that it would benefit his mission. Best to know what was happening in the wizarding world if he wanted to get into Kako's mind frame.

"Okay, so what's with Voldemort?" Harry asked. Shikamaru was confused to see shudders and little jumps around the table when the name was said. They really did fear it. "Why haven't there been any funny deaths or anything? It seems almost… normal."

"Well, that's because he's lying low, and to lie low, he can't go around murdering people, now can he?" said Sirius.

"But why isn't he murdering anymore?" Harry said. "I know he murdered more than once last year."

_What? Just more than once? Are you kidding me? They're afraid of a person who only murders more than once? _Shikamaru thought. He struggled to keep neutrality to his face and tried to keep his thoughts from wandering. _Clouds…_

"Dumbledore is the only wizard You-Know-Who was, and still is, scared of!" Bill said. Shikamaru frowned, confused. Whoops, he tuned out more than he thought. He didn't know what they were talking about. Shikamaru tried to follow the conversation again.

"Yes, and Dumbledore was able to recall the Order of the Phoenix about an hour after he returned," Sirius said, a slight grin to his voice.

_That _is _quick, _Shikamaru thought idly.

"So the Order is trying to prevent most of his plans from happening," said Lupin. "Dumbledore's got shrewd ideas, and his ideas are normally correct, or close to what the original is."

_Yes, that's a smart move, _Shikamaru agreed.

"Voldemort's probably going to try and build up an army again," said Sirius. "Enough power to overthrow is Ministry, you see?"

_I would do that too._

Shikamaru was impressed to learn that they were a few steps ahead in their predictions.

"So we're trying to convince people that You-Know-Who's back," said Arthur. "It's hard, though. The Ministry's attitude is posing a big problem. Cornelius Fudge doesn't believe that he's back."

"Who is Cornee-rius Fudge?" Shikamaru asked, posing his first question.

"He's the Minister for Magic; basically, he's the top boss," Tonks explained, speaking up for the first time.

_Like a Kage, _Shikamaru thought.

"Fudge is afraid of Dumbledore, you see," Arthur said. "He's all twitchy, because–"

"–he's freaking out about what Dumbledore may or may not be planning. He thinks that Dumbledore wants to overthrow him and become Minister for Magic," Tonks continued. Shikamaru's ears pricked and he sat up, frowning at this important piece of information.

"But Dumbledore wouldn't–"

"We know," said Arthur. "But still, Fudge is paranoid. All the power has gotten to his head."

"Now he's just a puffed up, crazy old bastard with a love for control," Sirius added. Shikamaru snickered. The sound was so out of place that a few people glanced at him in surprise.

_"Nani?" _Shikamaru said, looking around. "You cannot be serious all the time. Laughter is good for you."

"Oh my god, he sounds exactly like Dumbledore," Tonks muttered. "That's what he said as well."

"Great minds think alike," Shikamaru said airily.

"Where on earth did you get that quote from?" Sirius asked.

"You have big library, Si-lius-sempai," Shikamaru smiled. Sirius had the audacity to look mortified before gravity returned to the table.

"Anyway," said Tonks, throwing the two of them amused looks. "Dumbledore's been in a lot of trouble lately. He's been kicked out of a lot of groups and lost a lot of titles. His last meeting in Germany was cut short because of Nara's appearance–" eyes flickered to Shikamaru before going back to Tonks "–but before that, Dumbledore made a huge speech about Voldemort's return."

So that was why all the little old wizards looked so pissed.

"Someone like him work quietly," Shikamaru said. His fingers were weaved together, and there was a thinking expression on his face. "What other plan you know? Cannot just be recruiting."

Sirius and Lupin both gave momentary, fleeting looks at Harry, Hermione, Ron, Fred and George, and it was clear they did not want to say anything in front of the five under-aged wizards. But Shikamaru was looking at them expectantly, and Sirius said it with great reluctance.

"Stuff he can get only by stealth. Like a weapon. Something he didn't have last time."

The words hung in the air, and Shikamaru had to reassess his analysis of the situation. Now, instead of one good theory, he had two running around in his head, both highly likely.

But still, two was better than none. Shikamaru leaned back against his chair, the corners of his mouth tugging upwards.

_I've got you now, Ohayashi Kako._

* * *

><p>"You looked pretty damn happy before," Sirius said. Shikamaru blinked.<p>

"You notice?" he asked.

"Notice_d_," Sirius corrected. "And yeah, I did."

The kids had gone off to bed and now only the true Order members remained. Arthur's gaze shot in on Shikamaru and he said, "What's happening?"

"I know what going on," Shikamaru said, a tad triumphantly. "Ohayashi Kako; I know what she doing."

"Which is?" Lupin pressed. Shikamaru paused, but he decided that let them know.

"Two possibility," Shikamaru said, holding up two fingers for emphasis. "One: Ohayashi Kako work for Vo-rr-demort."

This made everyone sit up straighter.

"Two: Ohayashi Kako work for Fudge."

There was silence for a long time.

"If work for Vo-rr-demort, she is new weapon," Shikamaru said. "You maybe know what weapon Vo-rr-demort want, but why only one? Why not two? She maybe second weapon. 'Something he didn't have last time.' Shinobi is good weapon. We are tools."

"Got a point there," Arthur mumbled. He rubbed his eyes. "But why Fudge?"

"Fudge afraid of Dumb-rr-dor-san, hai?" Shikamaru said. "Fudge hire Kako. Plant her at Ho-gu-wart-su like spy. Find out what Dumb-rr-dor-san planning."

"But she could be at Hogwarts for her own means," Tonks said.

"I rule out possibility. What shinobi gain from Ho-gu-wart-su? She only there because she hired," Shikamaru said. He knew how missing-nin's minds worked. He had hunted them down for years.

Why should this one be any different?

* * *

><p>"What's this?"<p>

Shikamaru raised his head from the scroll he was reading.

"Si-lius-sempai, what you doing in my room?" he asked dryly. Sirius rolled his eyes as he continued bending down and picking things up.

"We're cleaning," Sirius said. "I figured you didn't want anyone else in your room."

"And you think I want you?" Shikamaru asked incredulously.

"Your English is getting better," Sirius commented. He held up three pictures. "Anyway, what's this?"

"Photo?"

"No, I mean, who are the people in it?"

Sirius paced over and handed Shikamaru the photographs. The Nara had left them on the bedside table.

"Family," Shikamaru said. "Wife, Temari. Daughter, Michiko. Son, Hotaka. Me."

Sirius' eyes crinkled. "They're cute."

"Mm."

"Then how about this one?"

"Friends. Naruto, Sakura, Neji, Lee, Tenten, Shino, Hinata, Ino, Kiba, Chouji, me next to Chouji." Shikamaru shrugged. "Not supposed to bring photo to mission. Must have fallen into backpack."

Sirius looked at Shikamaru slyly. "Yes, I'm sure that's what happened. Fine, what about the third?"

The final photograph was of Team Six.

"Genin squad," Shikamaru said, "though not genin anymore; chunin. Goro, Hibiki, Takara, me." The only girl had hooked her arms around the two boys on either side of her. She was laughing, and Goro had a pink tinge to his cheeks, while Hibiki was scowling at his treatment. Shikamaru stood behind the three, his arms crossed and a slight grin on his face.

Sirius set the photos down and he beckoned to Shikamaru.

"I'll show you my own important people," Sirius said. Curious, Shikamaru followed Sirius out into the hallway and into Sirius' own room. There was a metal plate at the door reading:

SIRIUS BLACK

Shikamaru blinked when he saw the decorations.

"Lots of red and…" Shikamaru began, but he didn't know what the next word was.

"Gold," Sirius said. "Yup. I'm a Gryffindor, and the rest of my family were Slytherins."

Upon seeing Shikamaru's clueless face, he elaborated. "Hogwarts has four houses. Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, Gryffindor and Slytherin. Gryffindor and Slytherin don't like each other. We have a rivalry going on."

Sirius led Shikamaru to one of the walls and on it hung a picture frame. Shikamaru's mouth gaped when he realised that the pictures were _moving_.

"My friends," said Sirius. "James, Remus, me and Peter, though I don't count the last one as a friend anymore."

"Why not?" Shikamaru asked.

"Peter betrayed us," Sirius said quietly. "He betrayed us to Voldemort. Because of him, Harry's parents, James and Lily, both died."

Shikamaru sighed. "Vo-rr-demort ruined lots of lives, _ka_?"

Sirius blew strands of hair out of his face. "Like you wouldn't believe. Everyone was affected."

A mournful silence then ensured, but Sirius snapped back to attention.

"I've got housecleaning to do," Sirius said cheerfully. "You want to help?"

Sirius' only response was a sour look. Sirius chuckled.

"I know sometimes Dumbledore is a weirdo, but I'm sure he's got a reason for you to be staying with us for a month," Sirius said.

Another sour look.

_"Fucking psychopath," _Shikamaru mumbled.

* * *

><p>Four or five days of cleaning passed while Shikamaru formulated a plan to draw Kako out. He already had a good idea, but now he just needed to test it, and he couldn't do that while stuck at Grimmauld Place. Sirius had caught him trying to sneak out a few times and it was only because of the man's logical reasoning that Shikamaru stayed. Damn him.<p>

The portrait of Sirius' mother was something Shikamaru dearly wished to never hear again. He swore his eardrums split when she started screaming and the shock of it was enough for Shikamaru's ninja instincts to kick in. Her painting had ended up riddled with kunai, which had only made her scream louder.

Shikamaru saw little of the kids and the other adults were too busy with the Order to speak to him. Once again, Sirius was his only company. Shikamaru suspected that Sirius was as lonely as he was; Sirius couldn't do anything and could only watch as his friends went out into the world while he was stuck here.

The Nara also met some queer little creature that looked like a tiny, shriveled-up miniature human with bat ears, and the small being, which Sirius called 'Kreacher', liked to mutter insults under his breath. The occupants of the house found Kreacher disgusting. Shikamaru thought he was hilarious.

Shikamaru's first encounter with the Potter boy came on the eleventh of August, the day before some hearing was supposed to happen. Potter had been busy lugging a box of rubbish down the stairs and Shikamaru had stopped to help.

"I do it," Shikamaru said. Before Potter could protest, Shikamaru had swung the heavy-ass box onto his shoulders and started down the steps.

"Whoa," said Potter, raising an eyebrow at the not-deliberate show of strength. "Uh, thanks."

Shikamaru merely hummed in response.

"Where I put it?" he asked. Potter pointed, and Shikamaru dumped it there.

"You know where Si-lius-sempai is?" Shikamaru asked. He suddenly noticed that Potter was quite scrawny. Did this boy even _eat_? He was stick-skinny.

"Nup, sorry," said Potter, shaking his head. "Sirius sometimes disappears."

Shikamaru made a disappointed sound. "I want talk to him."

"Why?" Potter asked. The pair was stopped, and Shikamaru leaned against the wall, his arms folded.

"Si-lius-sempai is good friend," Shikamaru said. "Only one who talks to me, only one who bothers. Order members ignore me."

"Um, I'm sorry," said Potter. He didn't know what else to say.

Shikamaru shrugged. "I am outsider. Doesn't matter." He gazed at Potter for a while longer. "You have sumting tomorrow? Everyone talk."

"Some_thing_," Potter said. Shikamaru gritted his teeth. Was everyone hell-bent on fixing up his English? He knew it needed it, but still! "And yeah, I've got a hearing."

"Hear-ling?" Shikamaru asked. "What is hear-ling?"

"Um… it's kind of like a trial," Potter said. "You know, where they… assess people for innocence?"

"Ah," said Shikamaru. He thought he understood. "Well, then, Potter-san, good ruck."

"Luck," smiled Potter. "And call me Harry."

* * *

><p>There had been some chaos on the day of Harry's hearing, when, soon after Arthur and Harry left, an owl from the Ministry arrived stating a change of time and location. The inhabitants of number twelve freaked out, but Shikamaru was more interested in the bird. He studied it closely to find any weird mutation with it, but found nothing. It was just a normal avian, though there <em>was <em>an intelligent gleam within its eyes, more so than with normal animals.

_They use _owls _to carry mail? _Shikamaru thought. Poor birds, having to adapt to a change in resting times; at least falcons weren't nocturnal.

The twelfth of August passed normally for Shikamaru, though the others, especially Harry's two best friends, Ron and Hermione, were very nervous and none of them were concentrating on whatever they were supposed to be doing. Even Molly didn't have the will to shout at her children. Fred and George, though on edge as well, tried to lighten the mood by pulling a few pranks. Ginny, Shikamaru noticed, kept glancing at the door, as though hopeful that Harry might walk in at any moment.

Shikamaru knew the telltale signs of love, and the look on Ginny's face when Harry _did _enter Grimmauld Place, late in the afternoon, was definitely one of them. There was a roar of delight when everyone saw Harry–he was grinning _widely_–and seconds later there were hugs and laughter and dancing and singing. The dancing and singing were mainly Fred, George and Ginny.

The Nara merely flashed Harry a small smile, which the boy returned, before he escaped up to his room. Shikamaru didn't feel as if he was _supposed _to be there; the joy that engulfed the room wasn't his joy to be part of.

Shikamaru's eyes fell onto the three photographs resting on his bed, and started, as per usual, to stare at them, though the pictures didn't compare to the actual people.

He sighed, falling back onto his pillows, and muttered, _"Mendokuse."_

* * *

><p>Done. This chapter was a pain to write. I want to get to Hogwarts already, considering that it's the fifth chapter and we're <em>still <em>at Grimmauld Place, but I need to pace the story. It won't do any good to rush some bits and stretch out others.

Please remember the two theories Shikamaru developed in order to find out why Ohayashi Kako is at Hogwarts.

Also, I know that shinobi don't let out personal stuff during missions, especially to outsiders, but I thought in this case it would be alright. I think Shikamaru feels a bit bad for Sirius, anyway.

Next chapter is the Boggart chapter. Look forward to it ;)

Updated: 28 May 2012


	6. Delusion

To refresh your memories about my little OCs whose names will pop up every now and then:

Fujiwara Goro (male), Sarutobi Takara (female), and Hyuuga Hibiki (male)–Shikamaru's students and members of Team Six; all age thirteen

Ohayashi Kako–missing-nin (female) who Shikamaru is assigned to eliminate; age twenty-five

Five chapters in and this story has gotten 108 reviews! It appears that BeyondMyReach was the 100th reviewer, so thank you very much.

I extend my thanks to you guys for reviewing last chapter: The Amber Raven, Furionknight, Naked King, Flower in the River, xXx Feathered xXx, DeathBySugarCube, AnarchistMongoose, SiriusBalisticPretzels, Elspeth, hello-totoro-ninja, Century Viscount, TrenchcoatMan, Nerd4ever243, BeyondMyReach (again :P), Torn Apart Paper Dinosaur, Icetail1r, Veronyka18, Soccergrl, Fallen Quills, NewSlove, ChocolateMarshmellowPudding, JuiceBoxPenguin.

Chapter Six: Delusion

* * *

><p>Just over two weeks passed, and it was now August the thirty-first. Shikamaru's English had gotten much better and though he still spoke incorrectly, he had at least managed to get some sentences of his speech right. He had learnt quite a lot about the wizarding world. Most of this was thanks to Sirius. By now, Lupin and Tonks had opened up to Shikamaru, as have Arthur and Molly. He hadn't seen much of Moody, but the Auror still occasionally shot looks of suspicion in the Nara's direction. Shikamaru had found Bill to be quite a captivating talker, and had ended up avoiding Fred and George whenever he could. He hadn't forgotten the time when he woke up one morning to find that his hair had turned bright orange; he still didn't know <em>how <em>the twins had managed that without his noticing. Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny were friendly with him, but Shikamaru guessed they found a fully grown man attempting to talk to them a little bit intimidating.

Shikamaru hadn't failed to notice Sirius' surly mood as the day of departure drew nearer. Finally, Shikamaru decided to seek Sirius out, knowing exactly what the problem was. He found him in Buckbeak the Hippogriff's room. Sirius was leaning against the wall, feeding the creature chunks of meat. His face was terse, his lips pressed into a frown. He didn't look around when Shikamaru entered, but Buckbeak did.

The Nara had quickly taken a liking to Buckbeak. Maybe it was because he was good around proud animals (deer). He bowed, and Buckbeak, blinking one large, amber eye, bowed back.

"What is it?" Sirius asked, not sparing a glance at Shikamaru. The jounin sighed and sat down next to his friend.

"Honestly, Si-lius-sempai," Shikamaru said, smiling slightly, "you shouldn't hole up in here like rat. Go down with everyone; have fun."

Sirius sighed and thumped his head back on the wall.

"Can't," he said shortly. Shikamaru fixed him with a knowing look.

"Can't, or won't?" he asked.

"Both," Sirius said.

"Because you do not want Harry to go," Shikamaru said wisely. "You are jealous of Ho-gu-wart-su."

That comment made Sirius' head whip towards the jounin. "I am not jealous of a castle!" Sirius exclaimed.

Shikamaru laughed. "You sound like Hotaka."

"Your son? Why are you comparing me to a twelve year old?" Sirius asked incredulously.

"You remember," Shikamaru said in surprise. "No one else remember my family."

"Of course I would," Sirius said irritably. "Why wouldn't I?"

Shikamaru said nothing, but continued on his earlier point. "Well, you remind me of Hotaka because he get angry few days before I go on mission. Mope around house like a sad _neko_."

"Neko?"

"Eh. Nya, nya."

"Um… are you trying to be a cat?"

"Maybe… Don't know Eng-rish word."

It was Sirius' turn to laugh. Then, his face took on a moodier expression. "I don't want everyone to go. This is the most fun I've had in ages." He closed his eyes. "I'm just going to be alone again… and I hate it."

"Of course you will be," Shikamaru said softly. "Nothing wrong with feeling like that."

Sirius gave a humourless chuckle. "Sometimes, I feel just like a needy kid."

Shikamaru didn't answer, and the pair sat in companionable silence. Buckbeak settled down on the ground, folding his legs underneath him.

And then a scream pierced the air.

Shikamaru immediately leapt to his feet, but then he realised that the scream wasn't a scream of fear, but of happiness.

"I think," Sirius said slowly, "the badges for Prefects have come."

"Most likely," Shikamaru agreed, trying to calm his racing heartbeat. He had been out of action for two long. Four weeks was a long time for a shinobi. "But what is prefect?"

The rest of the day passed in a state of ecstasy, and Shikamaru caught Ron moaning with longing, which didn't really fit into the picture, considering that he was holding a _broomstick _in his hands, of all things. Sirius had explained to him what Quidditch was, but Shikamaru was still having a hard time believing that something as flimsy as a piece of wood–when not made from one of Yamato-taicho's wood jutsu–could hold a human being up in the air for extended periods of time.

Shikamaru did not join in on the festivities, but he did slip downstairs at one point and hung around in the shadows for the little party that was held in honour of the prefects. He grimaced when he saw the banner.

CONGRATULATIONS TO RON AND HERMIONE THE NEW GRYFFINDOR PREFECTS

Moody and Kingsley were there, and Shikamaru gave them both brief nods before turning to the food. He decided to experiment with a baked potato. Hopefully it would taste better than mashed potato.

He ate in a corner, content with simply observing as shinobi were supposed to do. He only stayed for a little while and decided to follow Molly out the door when she said something about taking care of a 'Boggart', whatever that was.

"Can I watch?" Shikamaru asked. They had been going up the stairs and Molly glanced at him in surprise, but then she smiled warmly.

"Of course," she said. "I'm simply banishing a Boggart, but you're welcome to observe."

"Just studying the magic," Shikamaru shrugged. They entered a drawing room where a writing desk nearby rattled, nearly making Shikamaru jump out of his skin. A kunai appeared in his hand.

"Not to worry," Molly said. "Now, Shikamaru, I'll just warn you: The Boggart is a Dark creature, and it'll take on the form you fear the most. It'll be focusing on me, but just in case…"

Shikamaru nodded. "Thank you for the advice. I stay out of way."

"That'll be good," Molly said. Shikamaru suddenly felt a strange fondness for this motherly witch. After getting past her desire to shout at every little thing–it reminded Shikamaru of his own mother–she was really quite soft underneath.

What happened next wasn't really what Shikamaru expected or understood. The witch had murmured a spell and the drawer opened. And then… Ron was on the ground, covered in blood. This sight caused Shikamaru to jerk violently; his nails dug into his skin.

Suddenly, Shikamaru wasn't in the drawing room. He wasn't even in Grimmauld Place anymore.

He was back on the battlefield, watching his comrades get slain like pigs in a slaughterhouse. His mind, though usually brilliant, didn't question the strange change in scene. He merely slipped into fighting stance… much too easily.

_Weak, weak, we're too weak!_

Shikamaru's muscles tensed, ready to kill anyone, anything, that stood in his way. His eyes processed everything in less than a second. Five enemies, three teammates, and Shikamaru himself.

_Help them! Help your friends! End this fight! Come on, you useless piece of shit! Don't just stand there like an idiot! COME ON!_

His legs were running, sprinting, flying. He leapt onto the back of an enemy. A kunai ripped through his spine and the foe fell dead. Blood splattered Shikamaru's face, but he didn't care. He had to save them. He had to save his team. His comrades.

_Run, you bloody fool!_

"I'M RUNNING!"

The words tore through his throat, burst out of his lips, and erupted into the air. He didn't even know who he was shouting to.

It had been such a simple mission. So _simple_, but then, it went crazily, stupidly wrong_._

_Kill this man._ That was it. That was all they had to do. All they had to do was kill him.

And though they expected bodyguards…

They didn't expect _this _many.

The battlefield was nothing but a small room. But the walls were soaked with blood. He didn't notice. So many bodies. So many bodies. And in the middle of it all, a little boy. The man's son.

Shikamaru killed him.

And he had killed his teammates too, by leading them into this trap, onto this suicide mission.

"Yuuki?"

His teammate's body was lying to the side, tossed to the corner as if it was nothing but a worthless doll. He crawled over and picked up her body. Her limp, fragile, _tiny _body. She was only fifteen.

Her eyes accused him.

_All your fault!_

He was supposed to be a genius, for god's sake. He was supposed to be the awesome Chief Strategist of the fucking village! His teammates weren't supposed to die.

_You killed us!_

And Shikamaru finally took notice of the blood that was everywhere. It dripped from his hair, covered his face, dried under his nails. Some of it was his blood, but most of it wasn't.

_You killed me, you filthy shit of a captain. You killed me. Now I will never see my family again. I hate you. This is all _your_ fault._

* * *

><p>A horrible, rasping sound came from deep within Shikamaru's throat. It was so pathetic. So pitiful. And when Harry pushed open the door to the drawing room to find out who was crying and moaning, he froze in utter shock.<p>

The first thing he saw was Ginny's dead body and Mrs Weasley sobbing in the corner, hunched over and curled into a ball, and then Shikamaru, staring at the body–no, past it. His eyes were unfocused. His fingers were clawing his cheeks, leaving raw red marks, and he was the one making the terrible noises.

"Someone help me!" Harry shouted. He couldn't take his eyes off the figures. Both looked so lost and so _helpless._ It was eerie to see two fully grown, rational adults act so powerless. The adults were the ones who were supposed to be strong. The adults were the ones who comforted the children when they broke down. Not the other way around. "Anyone!"

Footsteps were heard pounding up the stairs, and Sirius, Lupin and Moody came thundering in. They stopped short at the peculiar sight, but Lupin only hesitated for a second. He walked over smartly and banished the Boggart–which had now turned into Bill–with a simple, "Riddikulus."

"Oi, Shikamaru," said Sirius sharply, shaking his friend. He crouched down in front of him. The Nara's lips were trembling and he wasn't answering. Shikamaru was mumbling something under his breath, looking absolutely terrified. He stared past Sirius' head.

"Slap him," Moody said brusquely.

Shikamaru was breathing deeply now. His chest heaved and he looked on the verge of a major breakdown. He was still muttering nonsense, and then suddenly, Shikamaru grabbed Sirius' shoulders and his shaking hands tightened visibly. Sirius barely suppressed a wince.

Shikamaru shouted out something in Japanese. Harry didn't know what it meant.

Then, raising a fist, Sirius said, "Sorry," and punched Shikamaru across the face.

The man gasped as his head snapped back into the wall, resulting in an audible thud. His face scrunched up and his breathing slowed. It grew quiet for a few seconds.

"Si-lius-sempai," Shikamaru finally murmured, his eyes still closed. _"Gomen. _Didn't mean to hurt you." His fingers unclenched and they slumped down by his sides. His eyes slowly opened as his head came back down again.

"Hey, Shikamaru, get up, you can't stay here," said Sirius. His face was very white. While he had been dealing with Shikamaru, Lupin had managed to get Mrs Weasley to calm down. The woman was getting up shakily.

Instead, Shikamaru gave a bitter bark of laughter. "Yuuki not wake up, Si-lius-sempai… had to get her to wake up. We had to go back to Konoha... had to go _home_ to Konoha." He buried his face into his hands. "Not wake up… Yuuki not wake up. None of them wake up. All my fault. I killed them. All my fault. Si-lius-sempai, help me… Help me…"

There was a rhythmic thumping noise; wood on wood, and to everyone's astonishment, Moody knelt down in front of Shikamaru.

"Come on, boy," Moody said. "Your… assignment is over. No need to worry. We'll bring their bodies home, alright? We'll bring them back to… Konoha." His pronunciation of the village name was incorrect, but none of that really mattered.

Harry didn't bother keeping the shock off his face. Moody was actually _comforting _someone?

"We'll bring them home," Moody pressed. His tone wasn't gentle, but it wasn't rough either. "But you'll have to get up, alright, Nara? If you don't get up, we can't go home."

Shikamaru had raised his head. His expression was dull, but with a little nod, he got to his feet, swaying slightly. His eyes were glassy and he was staring at the corner of the room.

"Katsu," Shikamaru said, gesturing to the corner. It was empty.

"Alright, I'll get Katsu," Moody said, and he stumped over there, pretending to bend down and pick something up. The expressions on both Moody's and Shikamaru's faces were too solemn to make the scene even remotely funny.

_"Thanks, Ibiki-san,"_ Shikamaru said. _"I'll carry Yuuki. Could you get both Katsu and Haruto as well? Don't give me that look, Ibiki-san. I'm too tired to carry both."_ His eyelids were drooping. _"Gomenasai, Naruto-baka. We'll have to bury three bodies today. The mission was a success, but I failed."_

* * *

><p>"W-what was going on in there?" Harry asked in a small voice. Sirius had draped an unconscious Shikamaru over his shoulder and carried him up to his room. Mrs Weasley had gone up to bed, and Lupin, Sirius, Moody and Harry were gathered around Shikamaru, who looked pale in sleep.<p>

"I would normally say that it's Acute Stress Disorder," Moody began, "but I think it's a bad case of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. When one experiences something traumatic, sometimes the memories stay with them for life. They might experience it through flashbacks or nightmares."

Harry remembered when Ron and Hermione had told him about the first time they had gone up to Shikamaru's room. Apparently he had been thrashing about in his bed. _A nightmare_, they had said.

Or a memory.

"He reminds me of me," Moody said quietly. "My first few years as an Auror. Saw a lot of things I didn't want to see. I had many cases of Acute Stress Disorder. I was almost diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Almost."

"Is there any way to treat it?" Sirius asked. Moody shrugged.

"Counseling, medication, stuff like that. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't," Moody said. "It really depends on the will of the person."

The four of them left Shikamaru's room, Lupin closing the door behind him.

"PTSD isn't something to laugh about," Moody said. "It's serious and it's also not something to spread."

He glared at them beadily with both eyes.

"What do you take us for, Mad-Eye?" Lupin asked. "Of course we won't say a thing."

* * *

><p>The memories came pouring back as if someone had doused him in cold water as soon as Shikamaru awoke the next morning. As his eyes opened, one hand came up to brush back the hair that had fallen onto his face during the night. He lay there for a few minutes, listening to the sound of his own breathing and trying very, very hard to think about something other than yesterday night's events. But try as he might, the scenes still played out before him in his mind's inner eye.<p>

He knew he had seen the blood on 'Ron', that was certain. But he wasn't sure what happened afterwards. He was in Grimmauld Place… and then suddenly, he wasn't. The memory had been so _real,_ so terrible. He stared unseeingly at the ceiling, going over his actions, dimly remembering his tight grip on Sirius' shoulders. Ibiki had been there–no, it had been Moody. Shikamaru had to keep reminding himself that he wasn't in the Shinobi Nations; he was in the magical world.

But he was so _sure _that he had been back on that awful assassination mission to one of the upper-class towns of Fire. He was so _sure._

_I think I'm going mental, _Shikamaru thought to himself. _How troublesome._

It was still early, about four o'clock in the morning. Today was supposed to be the day he finally, freaking _finally_, went to Hogwarts. But what happened the night before had washed away all the joy that he had recently been feeling at the thought of starting his mission at last. He wasn't sure how much time passed as he re-evaluated the events again and again. He glanced at the clock.

Four thirty. He may as well get out of bed.

Rolling to his side, Shikamaru sat up with a sigh, the motion making all the blood rush to his head. He frowned as the stars popped in front of his eyes and blinked rapidly to clear his vision. Moving around slowly, he picked up his few belongings and shoved them unceremoniously into his backpack. That took three minutes. Opening the door and walking down the stairs into the kitchen to find Sirius gazing at the wall opposite him with an empty look on his face. That took half a minute.

_"Ohayou,"_ Shikamaru said quietly. "You up early." Sirius didn't jump, as other wizards would have; he had grown used to Shikamaru's near-silent entrances over the past month. Instead, he turned around to his friend, his lips quirking up in a small smile.

"Good morning to you, too," Sirius greeted him. He ran a weathered hand through his long, tangled black hair, sighing as he did so. "I couldn't sleep. Don't ask me why."

"I not going to," Shikamaru replied. He dropped his pack on the ground.

"Guess you're leaving today, aren't you?" Sirius said ruefully.

"I guess I am," Shikamaru said, sitting down next to him. Neither of them spoke for a while, and the silence was tinged with melancholy.

"I'll miss you," Sirius said gloomily. "It was nice having you around."

"Mm," Shikamaru agreed. "You were better company than the others put together."

Sirius chuckled, but when his face morphed, Shikamaru predicted what he was going to ask even before he opened his mouth.

"What happened last night?" he asked softly. Shikamaru had been ready for this question, but it still took him a while to answer. Lie, or don't lie?

"Bad memories," Shikamaru said, shrugging as if it was no big deal. "Not anything–"

"Don't give me that shit," Sirius countered. The Nara clamped his mouth shut, surprised at the irritation in Sirius' voice. "I know I've only known you for four weeks, but at least tell me the partial truth."

"No one ever ask me partial truth before," Shikamaru mused. "Interesting request."

Sirius waited. Shikamaru lolled his head back, wondering how to word it, and then opened his mouth.

"Too troublesome. I no tell."

Shikamaru almost laughed at Sirius' face.

"Wait a–" Sirius began, but footsteps outside the kitchen door made both men pause. A second later, Molly entered, dressed in a sleeping gown and rubbing her eyes tiredly.

"Morning," she said, covering her mouth as she yawned. "You're up nice and early."

"This is rare," Shikamaru told her. As Molly went into the next room, Shikamaru eyed Sirius with a thoughtful look on his face.

"Shinobi kill people," Shikamaru said bluntly. "And sometimes, past catches up to them in form of memory and nightmare."

"How long?" Sirius asked. Shikamaru knew exactly what he was talking about.

"That event… nine… almost ten years ago," Shikamaru said. "I was twenty. Not first time I lead squad, but first time everyone but me die."

"Mad-Eye said it was Post Traumatic Stress Disorder," Sirius said, breathing out deeply.

"Long name," Shikamaru said. "I pretend I understand."

"Then, can I ask you something else? Something personal?" Sirius asked. Shikamaru shrugged, and Sirius took this as a sign to go on. "What's up with your family? Whenever you mention your wife's name–I think it was Temari–you'd get this depressed look."

Shikamaru dragged a hand down his face. "Let's just say that… I am failure as a father, because I drove their mother away."

"'Their'? Your kids? You drove your wife away?"

_"Hai."_

Sirius gazed at him for a long time. Shikamaru didn't meet his eyes. Then, Sirius said, "Want some breakfast?"

The change in subject relieved Shikamaru. "Please." He glanced at the time as he spoke: five o'clock. Sirius caught the look.

"Apparently Molly normally wakes the kids quite late," Sirius said with a grin. "It's a wonder they don't miss the train. Arthur's words, not mine."

"Why not wake up early?" Shikamaru asked.

"I actually don't know," Sirius said. "She just… forgets. Time slips past. Or she just sleeps in."

"I see."

Shikamaru yawned, stretching his arms, and didn't react when he felt Sirius' eyes fall on him. He knew what was coming.

"I don't know," Shikamaru said, before Sirius had even opened his mouth. The Black blinked, looking surprised.

"How did you know what I was going to ask?" Sirius challenged.

"Many factors," Shikamaru said. He took a breath. "I don't know if I take care of Harry or not. My mission not to him. My mission to Kako. I kill her. I go home."

"I know," Sirius said morosely. "It's just that… Harry has a knack for getting into trouble. Every year–"

"–he gets into life-threatening situation?" Shikamaru asked. Sirius nodded, and he shrugged in return. "Maybe, maybe not. I don't know if I see Harry around. Kako is tricky bitch. Will take time and energy to find her."

"I know," Sirius said heavily. "Good luck with her, by the way."

"Mm."

* * *

><p>A few hours later, Shikamaru wondered for the billionth time why he <em>couldn't <em>have just gone to King's Cross _himself _instead of waiting around for a bunch of sleepy teens to get their asses out of bed. Oh, right, because Shikamaru was pretty sure he'd get lost, and sticking with people who knew the wizarding world was the best option. Didn't mean he liked it, though. Curse his rationality.

"Hurry up," Shikamaru growled to no one in particular. And no one noticed.

It was complete chaos in the house and it was driving Shikamaru nuts. What the hell was wrong with eating, dragging a suitcase/bag/trunk/luggage/whatever-you-call-it down the stairs, and then heading off? Honestly, these people were so disorganized.

The fact that Mrs Black was shrieking her head off wasn't helping either.

"–FILTHY MUDBLOODS AND CHILDREN OF DIRT! TAINTING THE HOUSE OF MY FATHER'S AND HIS FATHER'S AND–!"

Nor was the shouting of Molly.

"–YOU DO NOT NEED TO USE MAGIC EVERYWHERE, YOU STUPID IDIOTS! WHAT IF SHE HAD BROKEN HER NECK, YOU USELESS PIECES OF–?"

Apparently both mothers were having a bad start to the day.

_"Mendokuse," _Shikamaru grumbled to himself. He checked the time–ten o'clock. "_Ano_… Molly?" At least he got her name right. "Don't we have to go?"

"–I AM HEREBY BANNING YOU FROM APPARATING IN THIS HOUSE FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIVES! AND DO NOT THINK FOR ONE SECOND THAT YOUR FATHER WON'T HEAR ABOUT THIS AND HE _WILL_–!"

Shikamaru kind of doubted she was listening.

He was contemplating just going off on his own when Moody arrived, stumping in the house, his mismatched eyes taking in everything.

"Good morning," Shikamaru said. He was feeling decidedly friendlier to the Auror in light of recent events.

"And to you," Moody said gruffly. He stared at Shikamaru with his normal eye. It was filled with scrutiny. "You alright?"

"Hm? About last night? Fine. Happen enough time for me to get use to," Shikamaru said, attempting nonchalance. Moody could see right through it. "But sank you for helping."

"Don't they have psych tests?" Moody asked abruptly. "Don't they have screenings? I assume so; they can't just have crazed ninja running around."

"I assume you talk about Village," Shikamaru said. "They have–eh, what you call?–test, yes. But I pass last one."

"And how long ago was it?" Moody asked. Shikamaru tried looking away from his magical blue eye. It was vaguely nauseating.

"Perform one per year," Shikamaru said. "Had one… _ano_… two months ago?"

"You were okay?" Moody said skeptically.

"Yes."

Their conversation was interrupted when Molly stormed between them and opened the door.

"Alright, everyone out!" she yelled. "I've had enough of this. We're going!"

"About time," Moody said. "And that fool Sturgis Podmore hasn't shown up yet."

"Why we need him?" Shikamaru asked.

"Guards," Moody said shortly. "Potter needs guards."

Shikamaru stepped to the side without thought when he felt a large presence looming up behind him. A second later, Sirius the Dog had bounded past him and into the morning air.

"No, Sirius!" Molly shouted. "Dumbledore said _no_! You've already been let out once!"

The Nara walked out and gave Sirius a pat on the head. His eyes flickered to the right, where he sensed movement.

"It's just Tonks," Moody said from his side. "Twitchy, aren't you?"

Sirius started coughing violently: his way of laughing as a dog.

"As if you not twitchy," Shikamaru translated.

* * *

><p>"No."<p>

"Come on, Nara."

"No."

"Everyone else has done it!"

"Because they crazy."

"They're not hurt!"

"So you say."

"Dammit, you stubborn mule! Just go!"

"No."

Moody mumbled something under his breath and Shikamaru had the feeling that the Auror _really _wanted to hit him over the head. The two were standing in front of platform nine and three quarters, and Shikamaru was refusing to go through the gate.

"It is wall," Shikamaru protested. "I will not look stupid and run into wall!"

"It's magical," Moody said impatiently. "It won't hurt you."

"No."

"You'll get left behind," Moody snarled. Shikamaru shifted uncomfortably and eyed the wall that looked _very _solid and _very _real.

"Fine," Shikamaru conceded. "I just walk?"

"Yes," Moody snapped. "Now get going."

Shikamaru prayed that the wall wouldn't reduce him into a bleeding mess, and started forwards. He braced himself for the impact, but none came. Instead, his eyes widened at the sight before him on the other side.

A red, steaming, metallic _monster _was snorting out billows of black smoke into the air. Crowds and crowds of students pushed and shoved each other, and small groups of parents were hugging their kids goodbye. Shikamaru thought mournfully of his own children before shaking the thoughts away.

_May as well say my own farewells, _Shikamaru thought.

"Si-lius-sempai," Shikamaru said, crouching down towards the black dog that stood near the wall. "Thank you."

Sirius' eyes blinked once, showing that he understood Shikamaru's words. He put one paw on Shikamaru's knee and the jounin patted his head again.

"First time I can say 'thank you' properly," Shikamaru said cheerfully. "Always say 'sank you'. My Eng-rish better, yeah?"

Sirius barked.

"See you later, sempai," Shikamaru said. He straightened up and saw Moody standing not-so-discretely to the side.

"Take care, Nara," Moody growled out of the corner of his mouth.

"You too," Shikamaru said. He glanced towards Molly, but she was too busy with the kids. Without any further ado, Shikamaru hopped onto the monster/train and didn't look back.

* * *

><p>Killing enemies? Easy. Spilling their guts to the ground? Sure, no problem. But ride on a train?<p>

_"I think I'm going to be sick," _Shikamaru muttered. _"Get me off this stupid thing! No wonder they don't have trains in Konoha."_

He swayed and blinked. Maybe he could just go to sleep. It would make time pass more easily. Maybe.

Shikamaru sat in an empty compartment near the end of the carriage, his forehead pressing against the windowpane. His eyelids were half closed, and just as he was drifting off to dreamland, the train jerked over a few stones and Shikamaru's head banged onto the glass.

_"Ow," _he moaned. _"Why can't one rest peacefully here?"_

His eyes followed the trail of a raindrop as it slid down the window.

_"It's raining," _he said to himself. "_No shit, Shikamaru. Oh great, now I'm talking to myself. I'm going mental."_

In an effort to clear his overcrowded brain, Shikamaru decided that he might as well take a tour of the train. Was Kako posing as one of the students in this vehicle?

It would be too good to be true. But still, just in case…

Shikamaru stepped out into the corridor, sidestepping a pair of twelve year olds who were playing tag. They hesitated at the sight of Shikamaru–was he _that _scary?–before continuing their game.

"Think he's a new teacher?" Shikamaru heard one of them whisper.

He ignored this and walked up the passageway. He checked all the carriages, taking note of roughly how much students Hogwarts held. There was a lot.

Shikamaru wanted to cry.

Shikamaru had counted up to one thousand and eleven of these little midgets before he was distracted by the sight of an Asian girl standing in front of a door that led to Harry's compartment. She looked vaguely embarrassed before saying something quickly and moving away. She made brief eye contact with Shikamaru, who gave her a slight nod, and he walked towards Harry's compartment to see why she left in such a hurry.

The disgusting and familiar smell warned Shikamaru before he saw the boy, and sure enough, when he glanced inside, everyone was covered in Stinksap.

"Had bad run-in with Stinksap in Dee-a-gon A-rrey," Shikamaru said knowingly. He recognised Harry, Hermione, Ginny and Ron when they looked up at him, but not the other two kids. Some girl with long blonde hair and a boy who was a little on the chubby side regarded him with curiosity. "Yo."

"You have lots of Knargles buzzing around your head," the blonde girl piped out dreamily.

"Uh, hi, Shikamaru," Harry said uncomfortably, just as Ginny waved her wand, banishing the Stinksap away. "What are you doing here?"

"Checking," was all the Nara said. "Who has _Mimbu-rus mimb-rr-tonia_?"

"I do," said the chubby boy in a small voice. He held a trembling little cactus in his hand. Shikamaru was reminded forcefully of Chouji.

"Who was girl?" Shikamaru asked, referring to the Asian.

"Her name's Cho Chang," said Harry. His face was very red.

Shikamaru left a few seconds later when he felt three boys coming up behind him. One had pale hair and a holier-than-thou attitude, while the two flanking his sides looked like human-gorilla hybrids. He didn't stay to watch the incoming verbal battle, though he knew it was coming. A year spent with Goro and Hibiki, his two hot-headed students, helped him spot a fight a kilometre away.

Too bad Takara wasn't here to break it up.

He passed a little third year who gave him an odd look of malice. Shikamaru narrowed his eyes, but kept his posture and his facial expression carefully neutral to avoid suspicion on the third year's part.

Was that Kako?

Shikamaru didn't know. But he kept the first year's appearance in his memory, promising himself to check it out later. He felt a little troubled; if it _was _Kako, it would be almost too easy. Kako was an expert in disguise and she wouldn't give away her cover by a little thing like that.

He reached the end of the carriage and made to turn back when he saw that the compartment he was standing in front of was filled with hostility-infested brats who were glaring at him from inside.

Slytherins.

Shikamaru remembered that Sirius had told him that Slytherins were a nasty little bunch. They weren't friendly to anyone but themselves.

That didn't take them out of Shikamaru's 'Could Be the Enemy' list, though.

By the end of the train ride, Shikamaru had a group of possible suspects: the little first year and the whole of Slytherin house.

Good Lord, this was going to take forever. But at least Shikamaru had ruled out about seven hundred and fifty other students. That certainly didn't mean that the other houses weren't under his radar, but Shikamaru would start with this faction first.

This method of elimination was crude and very unprofessional, but it was all Shikamaru could work with at this point. Once he actually got to the damned school, he could begin with the finer aspects.

It was a start, anyway.

* * *

><p>The first look that Shikamaru got at Hogwarts almost rendered him speechless. It would have been more breathtaking if the stupid rain hadn't got into his eyes, but even someone like Naruto would be smart enough to appreciate the grandeur and magnificence of the castle.<p>

That is, until Shikamaru realised that the size would only make his job harder.

Soaked to the bone in rain, Shikamaru headed up towards the castle, favouring his legs and not the weird carriages pulled by reptilian horses. It felt good to stretch his muscles after hours of riding on a train, anyhow. He edged past the students who milled around the great stone steps at the front of the school and pushed his way through–lazily, of course.

When he reached the warmth from inside, he spotted McGonagall hurrying to and fro. She was trying to keep students from slipping in the wet and shouting at something that made Shikamaru's face whiten.

Ghosts.

Or, to be exact, just ghost. There was only one. However, even this sight fuelled Shikamaru's dislike to anything magical. He already had his own ghosts following him from all the kills and failed missions of his past, and now there were _actual _ones hovering right before his eyes? Great. Shikamaru wondered if this place made ghosts visible to the eyes and promptly prayed that it wasn't true. He felt no urge to dredge up the past, though recently dark memories had been appearing in his nightmares. It was a wonder he had ever passed his psychological screening test at all.

Unconscious of the water dripping from his clothes, Shikamaru headed to the general direction that the students were taking. The bastard–uh, Dumbledore–had told him what to do once he reached the school. Of course, those instructions had been given to him about a month ago, so Shikamaru may have missed some minor detail…

… Like going directly to McGonagall to await further orders.

Luckily for Shikamaru, the Transfiguration witch _had _been paying attention to the old goat's words.

"Mr Nara!"

Shikamaru felt like a little kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar as McGonagall shouted out his name in _that _voice.

_"Ano_… hi," Shikamaru said feebly, making his way towards the witch. McGonagall peered at him through her square spectacles. Neither of the two really noticed that the students gave them a wide berth, sneaking curious looks at the foreigner.

"Come with me," she said abruptly. "You'll be sitting next to our Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher."

_"I still don't get why Dumbledore's plan had to be this," _Shikamaru muttered under his breath. _"Fucking idiot."_

"Pardon?" McGonagall asked. Shikamaru shook his head. She led him to the doors of the place she called the 'Great Hall' and pointed to far end of the room.

"That's the High Table," she explained. "Take your place there."

Shikamaru mumbled his thanks and approached the handful of teachers who were already present. He saw a huge dude who looked half-giant, Snape, some tiny little dwarf, a few other professors, and, of course, the man of all his problems: Dumbledore.

_Now… which one is the Defence Against the Dart Arts sensei? _Shikamaru wondered to himself. _How troublesome. McGonagall could have at least told me._

Shikamaru went up slowly towards the table, and, seeing only two other empty seats, he concluded that since McGonagall seemed as if she had a high position in the school, she would probably be sitting beside the Headmaster. That left him with the place next to–

_"An ugly pink hag?" _Shikamaru said in disbelief. _"You've gotta be kidding me."_

"Good evening," Shikamaru said politely, sitting down. The woman turned to him and smiled sweetly. The jounin felt cavities form in his mouth when she said, "And to you too."

Holy hell. Her voice sounded as if a bag of sugar had exploded in his face.

"Heavy rain, isn't it?" she simpered. "You're all wet, poor thing."

_Why… is she talking to me like a cat? _Shikamaru wondered.

The smile Shikamaru managed to flash at her felt more like a grimace.

"Ah, yes. _Ano_… I don't like rain," Shikamaru said instead.

"I can see that," the woman said. "Why don't you dry yourself?"

_I'm not magical like you._

"I like… natural dry," Shikamaru said.

"Oh, but drying magically would be so much easier," the woman said.

_I would if I could, _Shikamaru thought testily.

"No, no, it is okay," Shikamaru said.

He felt like he was developing dual personalities.

"What is your name?" Shikamaru asked in an effort to steer the conversation away from annoying matters.

"Dolores Umbridge," she said. "Pleased to make your acquaintance."

"Shikamaru Nara," the jounin said in return. "I come from Ko-Japan. Here to examine teaching methods of Ho-gu-wart-su."

"Well, I hope your trip here will be worthwhile," Umbridge smiled. Shikamaru forced a nod and then closed his mouth gratefully when he realised that while he and Umbridge had been 'chatting', the Great Hall had filled up and now McGonagall was coming in carrying stool and a… rag?

Shikamaru watched in confusion as she placed the stool in front of the High Table and placed the rag on top. Then, she stepped back respectfully and waited with her hands clasped behind her back. He then promptly jerked when the rag raised itself and a rip near the bottom opened.

_Not an enemy, not an enemy, _Shikamaru chanted in his head. _Don't throw a kunai, it's not an enemy._

A slight widening of the eyes betrayed the surprise inside when Shikamaru witnessed the thing that he now identified as a hat started _singing. _Its tone wasn't very good, though.

He didn't fully understand the meaning of the song due to lack of English vocabulary, but he got something along the lines of 'working together' and 'staying strong' and all that other merry, philosophical stuff that was easier said than done.

Then, it started the process called Sorting whereby all the little kids lining up near the front each waited until their turn came to put the dirty thing on their heads. After a few seconds, a word was called out. Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw or Slytherin.

Shikamaru's gaze wandered after the seventh person was called and immediately picked out Harry from the sea of black. Sitting beside and opposite him, of course, were Ron and Hermione. He saw Ginny a few seats down, and then Fred and George. They were all at the Gryffindor table.

The jounin idly noticed that the Sorting was now complete and Dumbledore had said something really weird, before the students giggled like one whole entity. A second later, Shikamaru's heart leapt to his mouth when _something _appeared right in front of him.

With a small cry, he snatched the first weapon-ish thing he could find and stabbed–

A roasted chicken?

Shikamaru blinked.

He stabbed a roasted chicken with a fork?

"Everything alright, dear?" Umbridge cooed next to him. Shikamaru swallowed. His little act hadn't gone unnoticed; a few students were glancing in his direction and whispering, and the little dwarf sensei was looking at him in alarm.

_"Gomen," _Shikamaru said, smiling falsely and trying to relax his features from the harried expression he knew he was wearing, "just… shock me."

He carefully yanked the fork from the cooked avian and set it down.

And though his stomach had been complaining for the whole train ride, Shikamaru suddenly found that he had lost his appetite when the wine that appeared in his abnormally tall cup looked a little too much like blood.

* * *

><p>Shikamaru was twitchy all through dinner and breathed a silent sigh of relief when the desserts–some of which honestly reminded him of internal organs–faded magically from the table. Then, Dumbledore stood up majestically and Shikamaru found himself analysing everything that the old man did.<p>

"Welcome to another year at Hogwarts," the Headmaster began. He paused there; a good effect, especially to ensure the viewers' attention. Then, he looked around, almost as if he was gazing at every student individually. That action would probably make the students feel special and wanted. "For the usual start-of-term notices, I would like to remind you all, and to first years particularly, that the Forbidden Forest is out of bounds. Mr Filch, our caretaker, has asked me to tell you all that magic shall not be permitted in corridors between classes, as are a number of other things.

"We have two changes in staffing this year, as well as an extra. Professor Grubbly-Plank is welcomed back into our ranks as our temporary Care of Magical Creatures teacher, and we extend a warm welcome to Professor Umbridge, who shall be our new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher."

There was some applause, merely out of politeness. Shikamaru didn't bother.

"Professor Nara–" and Dumbledore swept one of his wizened hands towards the jounin for good effect. Shikamaru merely raised an eyebrow "–is here on behalf of the Japanese wizarding government. He shall be examining the curriculum of Hogwarts in order to strengthen the teaching methods of his own school. He will be present in some of your classes, so please ignore him if he is; he will not do anything to disrupt your learning experience. It is unknown how long he will be here for, but point him in the right direction if he appears a little _lost_."

There was some laughter to this, and Shikamaru gritted his teeth. Dumbledore was deliberately mocking him behind a façade of good cheer.

Dumbledore had told Shikamaru that wizarding schools were usually very secretive about themselves, and yet he had still given Shikamaru the identity of a high-ranking foreigner. He wasn't sure what the old man was thinking, but there were too many holes in his disguise.

"Now, just so you all know, we will–"

"Hem, hem."

Shikamaru frowned when Umbridge rose beside him, a dainty little curve on her lips as she gazed out toward the students. He debated with himself on whether to listen to the speech he just _knew _was coming, or just tuning out, seeing as he didn't really care what happened to this Godforsaken place anyway.

But being the tactician he was, Shikamaru listened. Dumbledore, realising that the mini-hag was going to speak for a while, sat down and looked at her expectantly. Umbridge showed her teeth and opened her mouth.

"Thank you, Headmaster, for introducing me so sincerely," she said. And so her lecture began. As Shikamaru listened, his eyes narrowed, not liking this information one bit. Once Umbridge had finished, however, a small thought wormed its way into his mind.

_Ha! The old bastard is going to have some trouble over this, _Shikamaru thought with a glee that was completely inappropriate for someone his age. _Hope he twists himself into a corner and can't get out._

The sound of stampeding elephants brought Shikamaru out of his thoughts, and he squinted and wondered how kids could be so loud.

_"Off to bed, eh?" _Shikamaru muttered under his breath. He started to go out as well, before one little question popped into his mind.

Where the hell was he sleeping?

* * *

><p>It appeared that Dumbledore had 'forgotten' about that arrangement and had not given Shikamaru any place to rest. Shikamaru felt his resentment for the Headmaster grow.<p>

He ended up staying in the Great Hall and sleeping on one of the long house tables. His pack, which he had dropped near his feet during the feast, served as his pillow. Needless to say, it wasn't very comfortable.

_I'm going to kill Naruto when I get back, _Shikamaru thought. _Why did he have to send me off to such a hostile environment?_

The thought was entirely sarcastic, of course. Shikamaru had been in much worse conditions.

* * *

><p>Thank you for reading :)<p>

Updated: 28 June 2012


	7. Back to School

If there are large amounts of text in _italics_, it indicates a flashback, memory, or some random event from the past.

Thanks for the reviews: Flower in the River, Furionknight, ladyyuuki16, Guest, NewSlove, Khazad, Hodgeheg, TrenchcoatMan, xXx Feathered xXx, DeathBySugarCube, Basia Orci, JuiceBoxPenguin, hello-totoro-ninja, Veronyka18, Mon Esprit Libre, Guest, Nerd4ever243, Kagayaku Hoshi-chan, Guest, vanecool, Admiral Lypten Tee, SiriusBalisticPretzels, The Amber Raven, Shadster, and moonlightrurouni.

Some people have stated that even though Shikamaru is supposed to be twenty-nine here, they can't help but picture him as still sixteen (current Shippuden age). Don't worry; I agree. I picture him as sixteen as well, but I think what's really changed is his behaviour and view of the world.

Chapter Seven: Back to School

* * *

><p><em>Light cracked into the apartment, and a small figure stepped in. His entrance was silent, worthy of a ninja's. But the little eight year old girl behind him spoiled the quiet with a loud giggle.<em>

_"Michiko," he scolded. His sister stared up at him with wide, irresistibly cute eyes, but since he was her brother, he was immune to it. "We don't want to disturb Dad."_

_This was a part lie. Hotaka knew that his father wouldn't be bothered by any noise at all… because he had just returned from one of _those _missions._

_The missions in which his father's teammates had died._

_Hotaka and Michiko went into the apartment, removing their shoes in the process. As Michiko ran off to put her books away, Hotaka went to peek into his father's room._

_Nara Shikamaru sat with his back ram-rod straight on his futon. He wasn't facing the doorway, but the jounin inclined his head when the sliding door opened._

_"Dad," Hotaka said. "I'm home."_

_"Welcome back," was the soft reply. Shikamaru's voice sounded hoarse and tired. Hotaka hesitated, torn between wanting to ask if he was alright and just leaving his father there to wallow in sadness._

_His mother, Temari, was away on a mission. She was due back tomorrow, and Hotaka couldn't help but selfishly wish that she could return sooner. Only Temari could pull Shikamaru out of his depression, often with sharp words and a hard whack to the head. But Shikamaru had always been fine afterwards._

_"Are you hungry? I'll go make you something," Shikamaru said. Hotaka jumped at the chance of perhaps putting his father back into his normal lazy mood; Shikamaru was always the one who cooked. Temari had almost burned the apartment down more than nine times. Though, of course, sometimes Shikamaru would deem it too troublesome to watch the stove and Hotaka would often have to come to the rescue._

_"Alright," Hotaka said. His father got up slowly from his position and turned around. The ten year old boy was struck by how exhausted his father looked. He probably hadn't gotten much sleep at all. Hotaka knew about the nightmares that both his parents experienced. He could hear the crying, whimpers and sometimes all-out yelling from his own room. His parents mumbled out names that Hotaka didn't know and places he didn't recognise in those nightmares. Michiko had often crept into his room during those incidents, near tears and asking if she could sleep in his bed, asking if her mother and father were alright, asking if her parents were going crazy, like the mean girls in her class said they were._

_Shikamaru patted Hotaka's head absentmindedly as he passed and the boy grabbed his hand childishly. Shikamaru glanced down at his son in slight surprise, but gave him a wan smile and tightened his hold around Hotaka's smaller fingers._

* * *

><p>Footsteps padded along the marble floor and a loud yawn was heard. Shikamaru blinked the sleepiness out of his eyes and stretched.<p>

He didn't even know why the hell he was up so early anyway, but he supposed it was natural; Shikamaru often woke up early when his surroundings were unfamiliar. Plus, sleeping on a hard wooden table wasn't very good for his back.

_I guess I would just pop into a random class every now and then, _Shikamaru thought. He had already formulated a plan to hopefully draw Kako out. Now that he was finally here at this stupid school, he could put it into action. Granted, the plan didn't have a ninety-nine percent success rate… it was more like fifty-fifty. It all depended on the state of Kako's humanity, really… and her acting skills.

Shikamaru sighed. The plan had a lot of holes and shit, and it was rather dicey, but he wasn't sure how else to find her.

* * *

><p>So really, the day so far hadn't been the most productive of Shikamaru's mission life, and that was saying something. Honestly, he had wandered the castle for about three hours, going into classes on whim and trying to drop some not-so-subtle hints to the ones he suspected were Kako, but... nothing.<p>

_Oh look, another door. Let's go in._

Shikamaru rested five fingers on the bronze handle and opened.

He immediately wished he hadn't.

"Professor Nara!"

The voice that sounded like poisoned honey. Shikamaru tried to keep his facial features under control, and he gave Professor Umbridge a sweetened smile.

"Umbridge-sensei! Nice to see you," Shikamaru said. His acting must have been good, because the looks of revulsion the students in the classroom gave him were rather funny. He noticed that Harry was in this class. "I inspect this lesson,yes?"

"Of course!" Umbridge simpered. "You're most welcome to."

She looked as if she had just started the lesson. Her wand was against the board, which had chalk-white letters printed across it.

_Understanding the principles underlying defensive magic._

_Learning to recognise situations in which defensive magic can legally be used._

_Placing the use of defensive magic in a context for practical use._

How boring.

Shikamaru settled himself down at the back of the classroom, and instead of watching Umbridge, observed the students. He _did _keep one ear on the lesson, though, and unconsciously smiled to himself when he heard Umbridge correcting their classroom etiquette.

None of the kids paid attention to him, something that made Shikamaru glad. If they all kept on shooting suspicious looks in his direction, it would be hard to distinguish child from missing-nin.

Come to think of it... Seamus Finnigan had been giving him the Evil Eye in the last ten minutes... about twenty times. That meant he was glaring at Shikamaru on an average of twice every minute, or once every half minute.

_Why am I thinking of maths? _Shikamaru thought despairingly to himself.

He noticed that the classroom had become very quiet. The kids were reading. His eyes lingered on Seamus Finnigan for a few seconds, but then they wandered over to Hermione, who had her hand up in the air and a determined expression on her face.

_I want to go to sleep, _was Shikamaru's only thought. But Seamus' behaviour rooted him to the spot and he made himself stay awake to listen to the incoming argument. It hadn't started yet, but it would in three... two... one...

"I've got a query about your course aims."

Bingo.

Shikamaru knew that this not-so-innocent statement would escalate into a full-blown, one-sided shouting match between Harry and Umbridge. He knew what direction this discussion would take. He knew how Harry felt about the death of his fellow student last year. And he knew about Umbridge's goals and her reason for being here at Hogwarts. And how did he know? Well, he _was _a genius, wasn't he? Not to mention that fact that Sirius liked to talk shamelessly about the extent of Harry's awesomeness back in Grimmauld Place. But Shikamaru wasn't complaining, because he knew he did that sometimes with his own children.

He waited patiently for the general dispute to blow over, but when Harry stood up, his face filled with fury and anger and sadness, Shikamaru was watching Seamus' face.

Seamus Finnigan looked smug.

His sharp gaze drew Seamus' eyes towards him, and the boy gave him a hostile, but confused stare in return. Shikamaru frowned. Great. That one little facial expression had just made him lose the confidence that he had in pinning him as Kako in disguise. But she was an accomplished actress, so Shikamaru wasn't unconvinced yet.

Harry stormed out of the classroom when Umbridge had sent him to McGonagall, and once the door banged close, silence fell over the students.

"Please continue reading," was all Umbridge said.

At the end of the lesson, the pink hag said something about homework that Shikamaru didn't quite catch, and he stayed in his seat after the kids had rushed out.

"Good control," he said to Umbridge. The comment was true. Only a good teacher would be able to stay calm and collected when having one of their students yelling at them. Or perhaps that was only because Umbridge enjoyed the reaction she got out of mocking Harry. The sadistic little bitch.

Umbridge waved her wand, making the words on the blackboard disappear, and she turned towards him with a smile on her face.

"Why, thank you very much, Professor Nara!" Umbridge said sweetly. "That's very nice of you to say."

Shikamaru said nothing else, but inclined his head and walked out the door.

It wasn't as if he _liked _the teacher, but he figured that it would be easier to stay in Umbridge's good books rather than her bad one. A confrontational idiot like Naruto would disagree, but Shikamaru was famous for usually taking the easy way out.

* * *

><p>The next day, Shikamaru slipped into a seventh year Transfiguration class. McGonagall gave him a once-over, but ignored him for the lesson. Again, Shikamaru really didn't care. His curiosity piqued when he learned that they would be learning how to turn a desk into a pig.<p>

When the class started practicing, Shikamaru's brow furrowed. He didn't know why, but he was feeling decidedly uncomfortable. Maybe it was because the magic was so weird. Maybe it was because it went against everything that he had learned and taught in the shinobi world. Maybe it was because it just felt so _wrong._

Magic. To him, magic was nothing more than a tool to make life easier. But seeing this... seeing it used for such trivial and important things... it clashed against his morals. Though he may not show it, Shikamaru was a firm believer in hard work. To learn how to be a ninja, one had to work hard in the Academy, work hard in one's genin team, work hard as a chunin, work hard as a jounin, and work hard beyond that. A shinobi had to train consistently, making sure his skills never wavered, making sure that his ninjutsu, his taijutsu and his body didn't fail him during missions. But magic... it was like if one could learn a spell once, then they never had to practice the spell again.

Shikamaru had visited the library. He had read the books. He knew the three Unforgivable Curses. To him, they were abnormal. Death by a beam of simple bright light. Torture in a single wave of a wand. Utter control in one small word. Where was the toll? Where was the equivalent exchange? It seemed so _unfair _that these wizards could do all these things, with spells ranging from household charms to turning themselves into animals, and they did not have to pay a tithe. There was no weakness, nothing holding them back. True, if the wand got knocked out of his hand, then the wizard would be useless, but it was the same with shinobi. If a shinobi's fingers got cut off, then he could not employ jutsu. But unlike wizards, a shinobi's chakra diminished with each technique he used, growing weaker with every seal he weaved. A shinobi had limitations to his power, while wizards did not.

It was so _unnatural_ that Shikamaru's dislike for it strengthened, and though he would dearly love to get away, he forced himself to sit still and watch the students.

By the end of the lesson, Shikamaru had pushed the prickly thoughts out of his mind and focused on more pressing matters. He was quite certain that Kako was not in this class. He had witnessed every child in here perform some sort of spell with their wands and he was pretty sure a ninja could not do that.

Giving a slight nod to the Transfiguration teacher, he slipped out of the class with a few minutes to the bell.

_"Mendokuse," _he muttered under his breath. Hands shoved deep into his pocket, Shikamaru pursed his lips as he tried to find his way back to the Great Hall. Why did this damned castle have to be so freaking _big _anyhow?

_Because it's a _castle, _you bonehead, _a little voice in Shikamaru's mind whispered, and the jounin immediately buried his face into his hands. God, he was going nuts. Who else had voices that spoke to them in their brain, much less insult them as well?

He fingered the kunai that had mysteriously appeared in his hand, sighing as he raised his head towards the windows. There were no clouds in the sky today.

Dragging a hand down his face, Shikamaru realised a few things. One: he had been wandering around for much longer than he thought, and two: that would probably mean that classes have started again. More missing-nin hunting.

* * *

><p>"I think I've lost my wand!"<p>

A sobbing voice broke Shikamaru out of his reverie, and he shook his head a few times to clear the apparent smog that had infected it. He was sitting in Charms, trying to spot suspicious behaviour. At least, that had been the plan. Shikamaru was simply zoning out, something that made him a little angry with himself. He was on a _mission_, not at home.

The girl who had lost her wand… ah, there she was. The girl with curly hair. Shikamaru frowned, and then identified her as the one who was friends with the kid named Cho Chang.

"When you lose it?" Shikamaru asked. His voice, though thick with sleepiness, cut through the general chatter that engulfed the Charms room, and many students quieted to hear what the strange foreign professor had to say. Professor Flitwick was hovering near her anxiously, more so because she was in his own house. The tiny dwarf-man had been interrogating her, and Cho was by her side, saying something along the lines of, "It'll be okay, Marietta."

"U-um… I don't know. I had it with me yesterday," Marietta sniffed. Shikamaru tried not to roll his eyes; it was just a twig, for Kami's sake! But he tried to reign in his feelings; a wand to a wizard (or witch, in this case) was most likely as important as an arm to a ninja.

"I help you look," Shikamaru offered.

"Alright," Marietta murmured. "My wand is twelve inches, made with holly and has a unicorn hair core."

… _What? Why is she telling me all this? _Shikamaru wondered, but he figured that to a normal wizard, it would help with identifying her wand.

_"Hai,"_ Shikamaru said. "I look out for."

"Thank you," Marietta said gratefully. Shikamaru nodded to her, and left through the door though class hadn't finished yet.

Back in the empty corridors again, Shikamaru contemplated the possibilities.

So… Marietta could have simply, innocently _lost _her wand. That would be no big deal. It was something that Shikamaru was fine with. But since there was an enemy in the castle posing as one of the students, he had to consider the worst-case scenario. Kako may be posing as Marietta, and she may have accidently-on-purpose lost her wand so that it wouldn't look strange for her to _not _to any magic.

Shikamaru thought over that for a second, and then confirmed that it was a valid theory.

Pausing in the middle of the corridor, Shikamaru looked longingly outside where fresh air awaited him and there was soft grass to sleep on and–

_No, _Shikamaru thought firmly. _I'm on a mission; have to concentrate on the mission._

That only made him feel more dejected, and his shoulders slumped.

"Troublesome," Shikamaru said out loud, and in English. The word hung in the air, silence shrouding it like a hood. Nobody heard him.

* * *

><p>Chakra!<p>

Shikamaru's head whipped up, his eyes wide. He felt a chakra signature!

Getting up from the stone gargoyle that he had been resting behind, Shikamaru tried to keep the source clear, but it was fading, and fading fast.

Sprinting in its direction, Shikamaru followed only his gut feeling, and he clenched his teeth when it grew fainter. He skidded to a halt, stopping when the chakra signature disappeared completely. He had paused in front of the Great Hall.

_Kuso! _Shikamaru swore inwardly. If the signature had come from the Great Hall, then it would be next to impossible to find Kako in there. There were too many people.

"Are you alright?"

"Her-mi-oh-ni," Shikamaru said in surprise. Her name was torture to non-English speaking people like him._ "Konnichiwa."_

The bushy-haired girl smiled at him over the stack of books she had gathered in her arms. She appeared to be coming from class, as there was a quill resting on top of the pile.

"Hello, Shikamaru," Hermione said. Shikamaru noticed that she had gotten his name right. "You looked a little angry there. Can I help you with anything?"

"No, no," Shikamaru said, giving her a smile. She was really quite sweet, though a little bossy at times. "I just… looking."

"For the missing-nin?" Hermione asked quietly. Shikamaru glanced at her questioningly, but said yes all the same.

"Always can feel chakra, but always disappear before I get there," Shikamaru said moodily. "Annoying."

"I'm sorry," Hermione said, not knowing what else to say.

"Ron and Harry there," Shikamaru said, pointing. For some reason he always got the 'r's in Harry's name right; he never mixed it up with the 'l's. Kudos to him. _"Ja ne."_

Shikamaru gave the Great Hall one last look before deciding that there was no way in hell he was going to sit through all those talkative brats just to eat, and his eyes picked out Marietta and Seamus before his form melted into the shadows of the corridor.

* * *

><p>Flashbacks similar to the one at the beginning may appear every few chapters or so. It's just a nice, short way of giving you readers a glimpse of Shikamaru's life up until now, my version.<p>

I have a riddle for you guys! It's a little easy, but it goes:

_The following sentence is false. The preceding sentence is true. Are these sentences true or false?_

Updated: 28 July 2012


	8. The Case of the Disappearing Wands

The answer to the riddle at the end of last chapter is: Neither. It's a paradox. An anonymous reviewer, asredwer, Sypher14 and SiriusBalisticPretzels got the correct answer!

Thanks to the reviewers: Mon Esprit Libre, Admiral Lypten Tee, Spider's Thread, NyxLilium, NewSlove, DeathBySugarCube, Flower in the River, xXx Feathered xXx, Furionknight, moonlightrurouni, JuiceBoxPenguin, The Amber Raven, FanficFixation, AnarchistMongoose, chocolatte-delight, J.F.C, Anonymous, hello-totoro-ninja, TrenchcoatMan, Sypher14, Hodgeheg, Veronyka18, Nerd4ever243, Soccergrl, SiriusBalisticPretzels, Annabelle, Little Kunai, cherryblossom27a (her brother), Vendelareader, and sympatheticassassin.

The plot is moving along in this chapter. Enjoy the uneasy peace.

Chapter Eight: The Case of the Disappearing Wands

* * *

><p>"Good morning."<p>

Harry jumped about a metre into the air when he heard the cool, accented voice. Heart hammering, he turned around and saw Shikamaru strolling up behind him, chewing on something that looked suspiciously like dried beef.

"Hi," Harry said. Shikamaru fell into step beside him as the boy started walking again. "What are you doing?"

"Mm... looking," Shikamaru said evasively, but Harry knew what he meant.

"Have you found her?" Harry asked in a low voice. Shikamaru grumbled something that sounded like "Troublesome," but shook his head.

"I have idea," Shikamaru admitted, "but not sure yet."

"Oh."

"Where you going?" Shikamaru asked in return.

"Up to the Owlery to send a letter to Sirius," Harry said. Shikamaru's eyes brightened.

"Can send letter?" he said eagerly, dismissing the weird word. What the hell was an 'Owlery' anyway?

"Yup," said Harry, nodding.

"To Si-lius-sempai?"

"'Course."

"I send as well!" Shikamaru said. He was shit at reading English (attempting to decipher the idea of the Unforgivable Curses through that damn library book had taken a while), but he kindly ignored that fact. "But later."

"Okay," said Harry, trying not to laugh. Shikamaru's eyes crinkled at the corners as he smiled down at the kid.

"So, how old you are?" the jounin asked nonchalantly. Kako wasn't going anywhere soon, so he may as well take a break.

"How old _are _you," Harry corrected. "And I'm fifteen," he added.

"Fifteen, _ka_?" Shikamaru mused. "Still a little brat."

"Hey, I'm not small!" Harry said indignantly. "I'm mature, and I know–"

_"Maa, maa,"_ Shikamaru said lazily. "I not insult you. Merely stating. Fifteen is adult in ninja world already. Ah, only if you graduate…"

"Really?" Harry said in surprise, his anger fading. Shikamaru's earlier comment had sparked an unusual irritation inside him; he was sick of people treating him as if he were a fragile baby.

"But in wizard world, you still child," Shikamaru said, glancing down at him with his sharp brown eyes. "For good reason, too."

Harry felt the fires of annoyance rekindle.

"But you okay; you see death. You know world is not filled with candy and kind, good people," Shikamaru went on, as if oblivious to the glare Harry had given him. Once again, the boy felt his anger go through the window as the ninja complimented him without realising it.

They reached the end of the corridor and began climbing the winding stairs that led up to the top of the tower. Nearly Headless Nick drifted past the pair. Harry noticed that while Shikamaru greeted the ghost amiably enough, his jaw tightened and his brow furrowed.

"Don't like ghosts?" Harry asked. Shikamaru's eyes hardened and Harry immediately regretted what he said. Hermione was right: Harry barely had any tact whatsoever. At least he wasn't as bad as Ron...

"No, don't like," Shikamaru said. An uncomfortable silence fell over them.

"Um... so how old are you?" Harry asked in an attempt to dispel the morose atmosphere. "Twenty-nine, right?"

"Yes, twenty-nine," Shikamaru said. "Turn thirty soon."

"When?" Harry asked in interest. Shikamaru made a face, but said, "September two-two."

Harry paused for a few seconds before realising that 'two-two' was supposed to mean 'twenty-two'. "Really? But that's only a few weeks away!"

"Mm-hm. Not tell; it be annoying."

Harry didn't answer, but instead he pushed open the Owlery door. Shikamaru followed him closely, wanting to see exactly what it was.

It was a little anti-climatic, as it was merely the brooding place of all the poor owls that were supposed to be nocturnal but weren't. Little bones of rodents crunched underneath their feet and owl droppings were everywhere. It smelled _really_ bad.

"Hedwig," Harry called, spotting his owl high up in the rafters. There were a small hoot, and Shikamaru saw a snowy-white bird flutter down from her perch and onto Harry's shoulder. Feathers drifted slowly to the ground.

Ignoring the boy and animal, Shikamaru went over to the open window, looking at the huge trees down below. He had learned that that part of the school was called the 'Forbidden Forest'. It stretched as far as he could see; just leafy, jade-coloured tops which blurred together into a never-ending sea of green. He saw a little hut at the edge of the forest, and spotted Hagrid stumping out of it a few minutes later with a large dog by his side and a shovel in his hand.

He cocked his head to the side as he heard footsteps coming up the Owlery. They were light and hurried, most likely those of a girl's.

Sure enough, the door opened and Shikamaru glanced out of the corner of his eye. It was Cho Chang.

"Oh, erm, hi," she said awkwardly, brushing black hair out of her eyes. She nodded to Shikamaru as well. She was clutching a parcel in her hand, a light blush on her cheeks.

"Hi," said Harry. His voice sounded unnatural and weird. Ah, young love.

Shikamaru recognised the signs of love, though he felt as if the attraction between these two hormone-infested teenagers was more of a mutual crush than actual love. Nonetheless, it was there. And who knows, maybe over time it would develop into something more. Looked like Ginny had some competition.

It had been the same with him and Temari.

A fist clenched by his side as Shikamaru's thoughts took on an unwelcome turn. He exhaled, trying to clear his thoughts and thinking of something more cheerful.

Right, what was cheerful?

Typical that, at a time like this, his mind would turn blank.

Shikamaru ignored the kids, focusing his attention on the ground below, but what he heard next was too good an opportunity to pass. He had his suspicions…

"It's my mother's birthday today," Cho explained, holding up the package. "I just remembered this morning."

"You have sibling?" Shikamaru asked casually, cutting into the conversation. Cho glanced over at him and she smiled uncertainly.

"Ah, yes."

"A brother?"

"Yes."

"A _little _brother?"

Shikamaru took no notice as Harry's head flicked back and forth between the pair, confusion evident on his face. The jounin kept his outward appearance friendly, but he was analysing every facial expression on the girl's face.

"No, an older brother."

No change in her features; her eyes were puzzled at the abruptness of his questioning, and there was no tremor, no tremble, not anything to even suggest that she was not who she appeared to be.

"Okay."

The Nara drew back in his advances, giving himself a small shake and letting the teens continue their earlier discussion.

_I was hoping to get a reaction, _Shikamaru thought to himself. _Hopefully Kako isn't a perfect actress; she'll give some indication when she hears about a little brother. She has a little brother herself, that's why I wanted to draw her out using him. Either Cho is innocent, or Kako is good at pretending._

This had been Shikamaru's plan, and Cho was the first person he had tested it out on. He wanted to try it out one class at a time, but so far he had let himself observe the students before doing anything. He would start next week. Neji would call him a procrastinator. Shikamaru would say, "Troublesome."

He thought back to the picture of his missing nin's little brother, Ohayashi Isamu. There was quite an age difference between him and his sister, Kako. While Kako was twenty-five, Isamu was only eleven. They were more than ten years apart. In the photo, Isamu looked quite sickly; he had pale skin and dark, sunken green eyes. Lank blue hair framed his face, going down to just below his ears in messy cords. Nevertheless, Isamu was smiling quite happily at the cameraman, and the picture had captured the warmth in his face and his cheerfulness.

There was a niggling feeling at the back of Shikamaru's mind. It was something very, very important, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

_How annoying, _Shikamaru thought. With Harry and Cho completely forgotten behind him, he rested his palm against the wall, trying to figure out what it was.

Sickness… it had something to do with sickness.

Pasty skin and hollow eyes… Isamu had seemed very weak in the photo… unhealthy hair… his lips were cracked and dry… According to the date that he remembered looking at, it had been taken quite recently, probably a month or so ago. That would mean that the sickness was still there or Isamu was recovering from it.

Shikamaru's eyes flew open.

_An incurable disease._

Now he remembered! How could he have forgotten? Isamu was only a year younger than Hotaka, his son. The one time when Shikamaru had been called over to the Academy because Hotaka had been in a nasty fight, he recalled seeing a little boy sitting by himself on the bench. Blue hair and green eyes… it had been Isamu.

_"Poor boy," said Arisu-sensei, his eyes travelling over to the lone figure. Shikamaru gazed at her questioningly. "He can't run around with all the other kids."_

_"Eh… why?"_

_"He's sick," the teacher explained. "He's got an incurable disease."_

_"Then why is he training to be a ninja?"_

_"His sister… she was adamant about submitting him into the Academy. We only said yes to appease her." The teacher sighed forlornly. "He hasn't got long left... maybe a year or two. Three, if he's lucky."_

Shikamaru let out a breath, delighted at his discovery.

Wait a second…

The jounin bit his lip when he finally figured out what Kako was doing here in the wizarding world. He groaned.

* * *

><p>"Did… something happen?" Harry asked later on as the pair walked down the Owlery. "You looked like something just occurred to you back there."<p>

Shikamaru sighed; he wanted to murder something. "I figure out the reason Kako at wizarding world."

"Oh?"

"Her little brother… _ano_… very sick; incurable disease. Kako go to wizarding world, maybe find a cure with magic. Maybe her hirer promise to help her in exchange for a job," Shikamaru said. "Well, it is one of the many possibilities."

Harry raised an eyebrow. "You're good," he told the Nara. "How did you figure that out?"

"Many clues," Shikamaru said. "Just piece together."

They stopped in front of the Great Hall, and Harry said, "Good luck." He smiled.

"Thank you," Shikamaru grinned back. "Don't worry; I get her."

As Harry disappeared off to his House table, Shikamaru bit his lip.

_So, if I'm going by this theory, _Shikamaru thought, _then Kako wants to find a cure for her brother, Isamu. That means her hirer must be quite an important wizard or witch, or perhaps a magical healer. Kako isn't stupid; she's not going to do a mission for anyone who won't help her. I should perhaps set my sights on high-ranking magical officials and healers…_

And then Shikamaru realised just how stupid he sounded. There must be thousands of people that fit that category!

Rubbing his throbbing temples, Shikamaru regarded the feasting students and allowed himself to think of food.

_Should I… or should I not? _Shikamaru thought. His stomach growled. _I should. I'm too hungry._ He entered the Great Hall unwillingly, arms folded tightly across his chest.

He blanched when he saw Umbridge in her seat, but was courteous enough to keep the horror off his face.

"Good morning," he said, sitting down next to the hag.

"And to you, Professor Nara," Umbridge said pleasantly. She was wearing a pale pink cardigan today, and there was a frilly white bow on top of her head.

Shikamaru smiled at her briefly, but then a small article in the Daily Prophet caught his attention. Umbridge had been reading it, and Shikamaru gave her a look before the woman nodded and pushed the newspaper towards him.

_Sirius Black, notorious mass murderer who killed thirteen people in a single blast, is currently hiding in London._

That one sentence made Shikamaru's insides turn to ice.

"Cruel man, that one," Umbridge said disdainfully.

"Mm," Shikamaru said. No matter how shocking the news, he still had to act. "Very scary. Hope get caught soon."

He scanned the page again, then flipped it. His sharp eyes picked out another piece, and he began reading.

TRESPASS AT MINISTRY

Sturgis Podmore, 38, of number two, Laburnum Gardens, Clapham,  
>has appeared in front of the Wizengamot charged with trespass<br>and attempted robbery at the Ministry of Magic on 31st August.  
>Podmore was arrested by Ministry of Magic watchwizard Eric Munch,<br>who found him attempting to force his way through a top-  
>security door at one o'clock in the morning. Podmore, who refused to speak<br>in his own defence, was convicted on both charges  
>and sentenced to six month in Azkaban.<p>

_"About time," Moody said. "And that fool Sturgis Podmore hasn't shown up yet."_

_"Why we need him?" Shikamaru asked._

_"Guards," Moody said shortly. "Potter needs guards."_

Oh, what an interesting turn of events.

Shikamaru stretched lazily, and then wolfed down some toast and eggs before excusing himself from the High Table. He had just seen Ron and Harry leave the Hall with a bad-tempered Hermione sitting there.

"My wand's gone!" cried a dismayed voice. Shikamaru cocked his head as he walked down the aisle between two tables and hurried to the owner. The kid was standing just outside the Great Hall.

It was a fourth year student, with cropped brown hair and dark eyes. He was rummaging through his bag frantically, biting on his lip. His friend was trying to calm him down, but to no avail.

"Shit, my wand, my wand," the fourth year muttered.

Shikamaru's eyes narrowed and a list of new possibilities raced through his head. Damn, Kako was smart.

But he was smarter.

* * *

><p>Three hours later, Shikamaru was ready to tear his hair out.<p>

_Fuck. This. Shit! _Shikamaru snarled to himself. _Fuck Kako for making this so freaking hard!_

"We are in a grave situation," Dumbledore continued. Shikamaru tried to tune out; the old geezer had been talking for five minutes already, going on about how serious it was.

Just fifteen minutes ago, the Hogwarts teachers had been called for an emergency staff meeting when, all of a sudden, about a quarter of the student population mysteriously 'lost' their wands. It had been so random, so unexpected, that many of them panicked and rushed around, trying to find their little twigs.

The teachers had been bombarded with near-hysterical kids, and, bewildered, had contacted the Headmaster. Shikamaru kind of wished that they hadn't.

He knew exactly what was going on, and Dumbledore knew it too.

"I believe Professor Nara has something to tell us," the wizened man said, shooting the ninja a stern look. Shikamaru didn't falter under his gaze. Hell, even Sakura had a scarier glare than that.

"Wrong," Shikamaru said, folding his arms. "I say nothing."

The teachers were murmuring in confusion now as they sat around the large table, and anger radiated off Dumbledore's frame at Shikamaru's careless attitude.

"Professor Nara knows what's going on," Dumbledore said calmly. "Don't you, Professor?"

Shikamaru knew that Dumbledore was pressuring him, but he refused to say a thing. He wasn't going to play nice with this annoying bastard.

"No," Shikamaru said simply. "I know not."

The Headmaster pressed his lips into a thin line, and the jounin saw Professor McGonagall look at him warily.

"But are you _sure _you don't know?" squeaked Professor Flitwick. "This must be solved at once. We cannot have half the students without wands."

"Hear, hear," Professor Sprout agreed. "The school may even be put on hold if this continues."

Shikamaru merely shrugged and cracked his neck. "Know nothing."

"If _Professor _Nara doesn't know," Snape sneered, spitting out Shikamaru's title like dirt, "then I see no reason to interrogate him."

"But if he does," said Professor Sinistra, "then he should tell."

"Come now," Professor Umbridge piped out, smiling like a Cheshire cat, "why don't we all–?"

"Of course he is hiding something," said Professor Trelawney without warning. Everyone stopped talking to look at her. Shikamaru raised an eyebrow; apparently this lunatic of a teacher never went into the main castle and was famous for predicting the apparent deaths of students.

"Which is?" Professor Grubbly-Plank asked.

Professor Trelawney shook her head; all her bangles and shawls glittered as she moved. How distracting. "We all have secrets, don't we, Headmaster?"

All eyes turned to Dumbledore, and he frowned for a moment.

"Fine," he said quietly. His wrinkled fingers weaved together, and he stared at his staff over his half-moon glasses. "Right now, we will continue with the lessons as usual, but do only theory work until some light is shed on this bizarre problem."

The teachers concurred, and they all rose to their feet among mutters and worried looks.

"Professor Nara," Dumbledore called back. Shikamaru gritted his teeth; he was _just _out of the door. Maybe if he ran, Dumbledore would leave him alone.

Pfft. As if.

"Yes, Dumb-rr-dor-san?" Shikamaru said.

"Please stay back."

_"Hai."_

There was silence as the last footsteps died away, and then Shikamaru turned around, facing an empty room save for the man sitting in the chair.

"All this–" Shikamaru began.

"–is certainly my business," Dumbledore went on. His tone was very cold and his blue eyes sparked with irritation. "What have you done to my school?"

Shikamaru rolled his eyes. "I do nothing. Kako do it."

"Your missing-nin?"

"Not _my _missing-nin," Shikamaru snapped. He caught Dumbledore livid face and clenched his fists. "Fine, you want know? Kako is ninja. Cannot use magic. If she pose as student, she has to do magic, yes? But she cannot. She steals wands and make string of disappearances, and if she 'lose' wand as well, then not suspicious, because everyone else lose too!"

"So she's trying to cover her tracks," Dumbledore said. Shikamaru glared at him. Wasn't that just what he had explained?

_"Hai,"_ Shikamaru said finally. He inwardly cursed himself for asking for help, but he really needed it. "I want list of all students with no wands."

Dumbledore regarded him steadily, but said, "Fine."

Shikamaru didn't bother saying thank you.

"I do hope you catch her soon," Dumbledore added coolly.

"You doubt my ability?" Shikamaru said, his voice just as frosty. Dumbledore didn't say anything, but his eyes locked in with Shikamaru.

Making a noise of disgust, Shikamaru jerked his head proudly into the air and walked out of the staffroom, leaving a fuming Headmaster behind.

* * *

><p>"My wand's gone," Seamus Finnigan moaned miserably. It was lunchtime, and most students were in the Great Hall, eating, though a lot of them had gloomy looks on their faces.<p>

"A lot of people's are," said Hermione knowledgably. "The teachers are in a meeting together. Apparently over a quarter of the school is wandless."

"Really?" said Ron in amazement. He dove into his bag, and sighed in relief when he pulled out his wand. "Mine's still here, thank God."

"Think it has anything to do with Kako?" Harry said in a low voice. His hand gripped his own wand protectively. Hermione looked troubled.

"It's highly likely," she whispered back. "I think Shikamaru has an idea. I want to talk to him, but I can't find him."

"He'll be in the staff meeting as well, wouldn't he?" Ron said. "He supposed to be a teacher thingy, anyway."

"I suppose so," Hermione said, looking disappointed. "But–"

"Speak of the devil, and the devil shall appear," said an unanticipated voice behind the trio.

Ron yelped and twisted around, only to see Shikamaru himself standing there, looking down at the three with an annoyed look on his face.

"Yo," he said. The annoyance disappeared when he saw the question on Hermione's face. "Yeah, is Kako," he murmured, answering her unspoken query.

Hermione breathed out and brushed hair out of her eyes.

"Is it that bad?" she asked. The Nara sighed and looked upwards, where the ceiling of the Great Hall showed a grey, rainy day.

"You have no idea," he said. "Can't pinpoint anyone right now; all look suspicious to me."

He tugged at the end of his spiky ponytail and ran a hand down his face.

"Harry," he said, closing his eyes. "You still have wand?"

"Yes," said Harry in surprise. "It's here."

"Do some magic for me," Shikamaru said. "No ask, just do."

"U-um, okay," Harry stuttered. "Lumos!"

The tip of his wand lit up.

With eyes still closed, Shikamaru instructed Ron and Hermione to do the same. He got the same result; both their wands glowed.

"Okay, good," Shikamaru said, opening his eyes. "You three not imposter."

"You thought it was us?" Ron asked, outraged. Hermione shushed him with a wave of her hand.

"He has his reasons," she said. "We can't trust anyone here."

Shikamaru turned to Seamus, his eyes inscrutable. The boy wilted under his gaze.

"Borrow Ron's wand," Shikamaru commanded. "And do spell for me."

"A-alright," Seamus said. Ron passed Seamus his stick, and he took it with nimble fingers.

Shikamaru was staring hard at the kid's face, trying to discern some emotion other than fear and puzzlement.

_Come on, _Shikamaru thought to himself. _Mess it up._

But as soon as Seamus raised the wand, Shikamaru's head shot up. All other thoughts flew out of his mind when he smelled something that was totally out of place in this castle.

Smoke.

And where there was smoke, there was fire.

A second ago, he was in the Great Hall. Another second passed, and he had disappeared. Harry gawked at the empty space that the ninja left behind.

_Where's it coming from? _Shikamaru thought. He paused in a corridor and sniffed the air. _Damn, wish Kiba were here._

The smoke was coming out of the open doors that led out to the lawns.

_Forbidden Forest; it's coming from the Forbidden Forest, _Shikamaru confirmed.

He body-flickered to the trees, and sure enough, he saw black smoke rising from the canopy. Not even hesitating, he plunged into the Forest's dark depths.

Dry leaves and twigs cracked underneath his feet, and Shikamaru expertly dodged all low-hanging branches. There was nothing more than a gentle breeze as the shinobi whooshed past, and that barely disturbed the numerous animals that slumbered within.

The smoke grew stronger, but something made Shikamaru stumble to a halt, and for a moment, indecision flickered across his features.

He could feel chakra. Someone was running with chakra in his or her feet, but it was in the opposite direction.

Should he follow the smoke, or follow the chakra?

Swearing colourfully, Shikamaru hesitated, and then turned back.

The chakra was more important.

_Come one, don't disappear on me, _Shikamaru prayed. He reached the castle again, and just as he stepped in through the doors, the signature vanished.

Shikamaru wanted to stab something.

_She's playing around with me, isn't she? _Shikamaru thought furiously. Stalking off towards the Great Hall again, he tried to find anyone who looked as if they were tired, out of breath and sweaty.

He found his two primary suspects: Seamus and Marietta.

Seamus was chatting to a girl who he remembered was in fourth year Slytherin. He recalled McGonagall taking the roll one time when he stepped in her class. The girl's name was Gina Foremann.

She was blonde with blue eyes and very tall. There was nothing distrustful about her, nothing to say that she was a ninja in disguise, but still.

_Gryffindors don't talk to Slytherins, _Shikamaru realised. _So what are they doing?_

Even if one of them was Kako, the other should be a normal student, and would not talk to one in a rival house. He studied the two students carefully.

Seamus' posture was relaxed and lazy. He was smiling as he talked to the girl, raising a hand every once in a while to brush hair out of his eyes. That meant that he was obviously at ease with Gina, seeing as all those gestures were casual and unrushed.

Gina, on the other hand, looked taunt and wired. She had a tight expression on her face, as if she wanted to be anywhere but there. Her arms were hanging loosely by her side, but even at this distance Shikamaru could see the cords in her neck quite visibly. She was very tense.

If Kako was posing as one of these two students, it would be likely that she was impersonating Seamus. Shikamaru wasn't sure if Kako knew about house competition, and in order to blend herself in, tried to be friendly to all students. That would be her downfall. However, if Kako _knew _about the house rivalries, then she would know that Gryffindors and Slytherins _did not _get along. For the Slytherin girl, Gina, it would be natural for her to be on edge if Seamus went over to talk to her.

"Good afternoon," Shikamaru said good-naturedly, when he neared the pair. Both of them did not jump or look shocked, but merely turned around to look at him. Was this behaviour strange or expected? Why weren't they surprised? He filed this thought for later analysis. "Have you two lost wand?"

"Yes, Professor Nara," said Gina. Her eyes were apprehensive. Shikamaru supposed that this was a normal reaction. "Mine disappeared a few hours ago."

"Both of you no wand," Shikamaru said. He chewed on his lip thoughtfully as Seamus and Gina stared at him, clueless as to his intentions.

"That's right," said Seamus. Shikamaru lifted his head to the ceiling, and when he looked back down at them again, his eyes were empty.

"Do you two have little brother with incurable disease?" he asked suddenly.

He only received blank stares in return.

"Um… what?" Gina said. She gave him a look that said, _What the hell is your problem?_

"I don't have a little brother with an incurable disease," said Seamus, shaking his head. "I don't know what you're talking about, Professor."

Shikamaru made a little noise of dissatisfaction. "I guess not."

He began walking away, disappointed. Neither Seamus nor Gina had given him any indication of being Kako. It didn't mean they were innocent, but it dimmed the chances greatly.

What about Marietta?

He found the curly-haired girl talking with Cho at the Ravenclaw table. He appeared behind her, ignoring the curious stares of the others students, and tapped her on the shoulder.

"Professor Nara!" said Marietta, her eyes widening. This was the response that was normal for a civilian, and Shikamaru knew that. "Um… what's wrong?"

Again, he repeated the question.

"Do you have little brother with incurable disease?" he asked. Again, he only got a perplexed look.

"No," said Marietta. Shikamaru glanced at Cho, but she seemed as mystified as her friend did.

Shikamaru sighed and said, "Fine."

This was turning out harder than he expected.

* * *

><p><em>"Hey, Shikamaru."<em>

_Sirius' voice was lax, a tad perplexed._

_"Hm?" Shikamaru didn't look up from the dictionary he was reading. "What you want?"_

_The pair sat at the kitchen table. Weak afternoon sunlight warmed their backs and illuminated the room with a gentle glow. Grimmauld Place was unusually quiet and peaceful; Molly had taken the kids out to Diagon Alley, and the other Order members were off doing their duty._

_"Can I–can I ask about Temari?"_

_Shikamaru didn't appear to hear him. Sirius stared at his friend steadily until Shikamaru looked up. When he did, he was surprised, but unsurprised, to see that the Nara's brown eyes were tired and drained._

_"You not understand," Shikamaru mumbled, casting his gaze away. "You not shinobi."_

_"Try me."_

_"None of your business."_

_"Please, Shikamaru."_

_Sirius wanted to understand. The mysterious nature of ninja, their values and beliefs and lifestyle; he was curious and often wondered what it took to break a family. They were so different from normal civilians._

_Shikamaru was slouching. The clock ticked loudly. Sirius noticed that the man's fists were clenching, and then unclenching. The house was silent, save for the breathing of the two human occupants._

_"I tell Temari… I tell her to stop being kunoichi." A world-weary tone. Guilt cracking his throat._

_He sounded as if that was a terrible, terrible thing. Shikamaru was right: Sirius didn't understand. And he said as much._

_"What? That doesn't make sense. Why the hype? Why all the… drama?"_

_Shikamaru sighed and buried his face into his hands. Sirius had never seen Shikamaru look so lost._

_"You no get it, Si-lius-sempai. To be shinobi… to be shinobi of the village… it is great honour! Such honour! Pride and face of the village, representing all that you believe in! And I tell her to stop being kunoichi. Do you understand what huge insult that is? Like telling… like telling soldier to stop serving his country. Like telling doctor to stop saving people. Such a wrong, wrong, wrong thing to say. But I say it, because I–"_

_Here, Shikamaru halted, his breath choking off, as if he was physically unable to continue. His teeth audibly clenched._

_"I just… I want to her be safe, Si-lius-sempai. Shinobi such dangerous occupation. Die too easy. What about children? No mother, no father. Hurt too much. Lose everything."_

_Shikamaru was so distraught that his English was fading, and he was merely spitting out words to try to get Sirius to understand just how mistaken he was._

_"Then," Sirius said quietly, "you must love her very much."_

_Shikamaru laughed humourlessly. "More than you believe. Love family so much." He paused, staring at his callused hands. "Love them, then break everyone apart. Temari angry; she leave."_

_It was then and there that Sirius finally understood. Shinobi weren't so different from them after all. They broke the same way everyone else did. They were sad like everyone else, they protected they everyone else, they loved like everyone else._

_"I'm sorry."_

* * *

><p>All events in this chapter occurred on the same day (excluding the flashback at the end): Saturday 7th September. Funny how just a few short hours, a whole situation can take a 180 degree turn, eh? From teenage love to disappearing wands to narrowing down the suspects. Poor Shikamaru; he's gotta keep up with the pace, not to mention that there's a pissed off Headmaster breathing down his neck.<p>

Regarding Dumbledore, he's not evil (I still don't understand how people can believe that Dumbledore was truly evil). Buthe _is_ angry at Shikamaru for messing up his school, if you get what I mean. Dumbledore loves Hogwarts and some random ninja disrupting the flow of the school is something that he doesn't like.

And there you finally have Temari's reason for leaving. Not what you were expecting? I personally think it's quite probably. I don't think Shikamaru can express to Sirius just how much pride there is to be a shinobi. They die all the time for their village, and if that's not honour and dedication, what is? To have someone tell them to stop doing that… well… that's a great offence and bitch-slap to the face. If you don't understand, then… I don't know… you're like Sirius? A civilian looking into the world of shinobi. However, this is not the only reason. Temari and Shikamaru's relationship will be explored throughout the story.

Updated: 28 August 2012


	9. Analyse and Solve

Sorry I'm late. I was in Singapore (pretty country, but oh so hot) when the 28th came around, so I didn't get a chance to update. Then… the last couple of scenes needed some fixing, and I procrastinated.

Thank you to the reviewers: Sypher14, Fallen Quills, NewSlove, hello-totoro-ninja, Mon Esprit Libre, Eirdaru, Guest, Furionknight, moonlightrurouni, TrenchcoatMan, Oneblackened, Ali-Kun, xX Feathered Xx, Veronyka18, and Good boy-chan.

I received many different responses towards the separation of Shikamaru and Temari. I don't really believe there is any 'right' or 'wrong' side. Both of them had their reasons, and both of them made mistakes. That's life for you. But yes, expansion on that is definitely needed. Don't worry, I know.

Chapter Nine: Analyse and Solve

* * *

><p>"Shikamaru?" Harry said in amazement. "What on earth are you doing here?"<p>

The said jounin cracked open an eye and rubbed it sleepily.

"Damn," he said, his voice soft from sleep. "I sleep in."

Harry had been making his way down to the Great Hall for some breakfast, knowing that it would be empty during this hour in the morning, when he pushed open the doors and saw a familiar figure napping on the table with only a backpack as a pillow.

Shikamaru sat up and yawned, but closed his mouth when he saw Harry still staring at him.

"What?" Shikamaru asked self-consciously.

"What are you doing here?" Harry repeated. The tables were bare, but he knew any second now food would appear.

"I sleep here," Shikamaru said. He curled his lip. "Dumb-rr-dor-san not want to give me a bed."

"What?" Harry frowned. "That's not like him; he's generally very courteous."

"Your Headmaster no like me," Shikamaru said. He slipped off the table, pulling his pack with him, just as breakfast popped into existence. The mouth-watering smells made Harry's stomach complain, but he ignored it for the time being.

"Well…" said Harry. "You could always sleep in our common room."

If Harry thought that a twenty-nine-almost-thirty year old man sleeping in the students' common room was weird, he didn't give any indication. To Shikamaru, it sounded like quite a good idea. On the other hand, it sort of made him sound like a paedophile…

Shikamaru raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Where?"

"On the couches," Harry said. "I'll give you the password."

Shikamaru blinked at the boy as he said the words, and felt a sudden rush of warmth in his chest.

"Thank you," he said, patting Harry's head. "Means much to me."

Harry blushed and stammered something about how it was no problem at all.

The jounin smiled at him, and then stretched. He had slept in this morning because he had stayed out late last night. He had gone to the Forbidden Forest to investigate the strange fire from earlier on. Sure enough, when he followed his nose, he found an abandoned burning ground, and littering the Forest floor were about two hundred and fifty broken and half-smoldered wands, most of which had already turned to ash. That explained the reason why the wands hadn't appeared when the professors had attempted to summon them.

He decided not to mention this to anyone just yet. It would cause an uproar that he was not willing to be in the centre of.

"Hungry?" Harry asked. Shikamaru glanced at plates of bacon and eggs that gleamed with oil, and shook his head.

"Not yet," Shikamaru said. "Not just yet."

* * *

><p>Shikamaru spent most of Sunday in the library, seeing as he couldn't interrogate the students easily when they were scattered about the castle.<p>

At around midday, he decided to take Harry's information and he snuck into Gryffindor Tower. He knew he had come to the right place when a huge portrait of a fat lady blocked his way.

"Password?" she asked, waving a lacy fan around her face. Shikamaru swallowed his discomfort at a moving picture.

"Mimbu-rus mimb-rr-tonia," he said. She inclined her head and swung forwards. The jounin eyed the hole in the wall before climbing through.

_So this is what a common room looks like, _Shikamaru thought idly. _How… cosy._

The Gryffindor common room was red. Very, very red. Armchairs sprawled themselves in a semi-circle around the blistering fire, which cast everything in a warm glow. Windows dotted the walls, letting in sunlight and a view of the sky. Small tables were gathered in a corner, and a staircase led up, splitting in the middle, one going right and the other left. Shikamaru assumed that they went into the girls' and boys' dormitories.

There weren't very many students in there; most of them were outside enjoying the weather. His eyes travelled, and he picked out Harry and Ron's hunched forms as they bent over long parchments filled with messy words. Hermione was chatting with Ginny near the fire and Shikamaru's eyes widened when he saw a pair of knitting needles flashing in the air. More magic.

"Shikamaru!" Hermione called out merrily. The Nara raised an eyebrow; why was she so cheerful?

"Yo," Shikamaru said. He padded over to join them, the eyes of other Gryffindors following him. It felt strange not to take his shoes off in such a homey environment. "Doing homework?"

"Yeah," said Harry gloomily, barely looking up as he finished scrawling his last sentence. Ron only mumbled a greeting, his nose barely a centimetre from the page.

"They didn't do their homework all week and now it's caught up with them," said Hermione, a hint of disapproval in her voice.

"Shame on you," said Shikamaru, hiding a grin. Harry seemed to hear that in his voice, though, and he looked up briefly to glare at the man before going back to his essay.

"I assume Dumbledore's allowed you into the common rooms?" Hermione said, checking the pattern on her knitting with sharp eyes.

_"Ano…"_

"He's a nice man," Hermione went on, oblivious to Shikamaru's hesitation. He met Harry's eyes, and the boy shook his head slightly with a wry grin.

For the first time in a while, Shikamaru could feel himself relax. He had been going crazy all week from the tension that came with trying to find an enemy who knew exactly how to blend into a school setting and thinking how every student had a reason or five to be a suspect in Shikamaru's view.

He stayed in the common room for the whole day, mostly reading the books he had lugged back from the library and talking occasionally with Hermione.

At around eleven-thirty at night, when the two boys rolled up their last essay, Shikamaru gave a stifled yell that made the three look up in alarm.

"S-Si-lius-sempai!" Shikamaru said in a half-whisper. He slid off the armchair he had been sitting on and crouched down near the fire. "What you doing in there?"

Sirius' head grinned up at him, looking well at ease, as if there weren't any flames licking his head.

"Hey, Shikamaru!" he said happily. "Long time no see! The house is pretty empty without you."

Shikamaru was still staring at him cautiously until Hermione took pity on the ninja and said, "It's a form of communication."

The Nara then scoffed, letting his guard down and said, "Magic."

"Mm-hm," Sirius nodded.

"You look better," Shikamaru noted.

He did. Unlike before, Sirius' hair was now combed and his beard had been shaved off. His eyes, though still haunted, were brighter and more alert, and his mouth fell into natural smiles more often.

"Sirius," said Harry. He grinned and knelt down next to Shikamaru at the hearth. "How are you?"

"Good, actually," Sirius said. He made a face. "But it's awfully lonely here; there's no one to talk to."

Though he knew it wasn't his fault, Shikamaru still felt a twinge of guilt.

"So, Harry," said Sirius briskly, his tone turning stern. "I'm here because of the letter you wrote to me about your scar."

"One yesterday in Owl-rery?" Shikamaru asked, looking questioningly at Harry. The boy nodded.

Then, the trio and Sirius launched into a discussion that Shikamaru really had no idea about. He tried to follow but lost them about three seconds into it. His attention wandered and it snapped back when he heard Sirius say, "When's your next Hogsmeade weekend, anyway? I was just thinking that since we got away with the dog disguise at the station, we could–"

"No!" Harry and Hermione said together loudly.

"Why not?" Shikamaru asked, butting in. "I want to see Si-lius-sempai."

"Hey, your English has improved," Sirius said, his lips curving upwards. He turned to the youngsters. "And yeah, why not?"

"You might get recognised!" Hermione said.

"Didn't you see the article in the newspaper?" Ron asked anxiously.

"Oh, that," Sirius laughed. "They're always guessing, you know. They don't actually–"

"But still, we don't want to take the risk," Harry said in a nervous voice. Sirius made a very displeased noise.

"Come on," he said, sounding very much like a whiney kid. "I'm so bored."

"Understandable," Shikamaru said, nodding along.

"Be quiet, you're not helping," Hermione snapped. Shikamaru wisely shut up. She sounded a bit too much like his mother for his comfort.

"It's just that–" said Harry.

"No, it's okay," Sirius interrupted. There was a fiery look in his eyes. "I'll see you later, okay? If you can _risk _it."

There was a pop as Sirius' head disappeared in the fire, leaving behind three worried kids and a sighing man.

The embers of the dying fire were red in the dim light. It was around three in the morning, Harry, Ron and Hermione had gone off to bed, and Shikamaru was lying on a couch, the glow of the coals reflecting in his eyes. His mind was wandering, and in his half-asleep state, unbidden memories drifted to the surface.

_"Gomenasai, Hokage-sama," Shikamaru said quietly._

_Naruto stared at him, his head slightly tilted. Shikamaru found himself unable to meet his gaze. There was always something special about the blonde. Something that little other shinobi had when dealing with these matters._

_Naruto didn't judge._

_The years had grown since the Hokage's stupid, twelve year old self. Naruto understood the shinobi world a lot more now. He was mature, with a seriousness birthed from his job as leader._

_Naruto didn't judge. But Shikamaru wished he did. He wished with all his heart. Rage blossomed in his chest like a poisonous flower, black and choking. Shikamaru wanted those annoying blue eyes (eyes that understood him all too well) to be cast away. He wanted that calm stare (stupid, stupid, _stupid! _Why isn't Naruto _angry_?_) _to be filled with fury. But most of all, Shikamaru wanted someone (_anyone_) to punish him, stab him, torture him with questions._

Why couldn't you save your teammates?

Why were you so stupid?

Why are you so _weak_?

_And Shikamaru found himself spiralling down down down into darkness…_

… _Warm breath blew on his face. Shikamaru's eyes flew open, and bright green was the first colour he saw. The face of the missing-nin Ryuu leered down at him, scars slicing his cheeks in half, mouth twisted in a savage smile. A kunai was already flying towards his throat–_

_"Shikamaru!"_

_A strong, warm, familiar hand blocked the path of the blade. Shikamaru blinked rapidly, before Ryuu disappeared and his best friend Chouji was staring down at his worriedly, one beefy hand engulfing his wrist._

_"Where is he?" Shikamaru asked wildly, his head flicking back and forth. "Ryuu was here! The missing-nin I was hunting! I just saw him–"_

_"Shikamaru, calm down!" Chouji said loudly. Slowly, Shikamaru's surroundings gradually melted into view. He was resting on a soft, well-worn couch. A bowl of cold ramen was in danger of toppling off the tiny table in front of him. Chouji himself was dressed in muddied gear and his long, spiky hair was covered in twigs and brambles._

_"I-I'm…" Shikamaru said, his voice trailing off. A small pressure on his lap made him glance down, and he found the eyes of Chouji's cat, Maru-chan, staring up at him. The eyes were green, emerald and intense, just like Ryuu's…_

It was more instinct than anything. Somehow, with senses honed from shinobi life, Shikamaru managed to figure out that there was danger.

Danger, danger, danger.

With a twist too fast to be seen, Shikamaru was up and on his feet just as a cold, merciless kunai plunged into the very spot his neck had been a second ago. He leapt back a few paces to better see his assailant.

Well, fuck it. How convenient. It was too dark to see anything.

Shikamaru wondered briefly if shoving chakra to his eyes might enhance his night vision. A brief glimpse at the glowing clock stated that it was three-thirty; he had only been asleep for half an hour. The fire was completely dead, the light from the moon and stars were muted by the curtains. The Gryffindor common room was quiet.

_I let my guard down, how stupid, _Shikamaru berated himself. Squinting into the gloom, he managed to make out enough to confirm that his attacker was a male. The shoulders were broad, the arms and legs heavily muscled, and the neck was thick.

However, his attacker didn't let Shikamaru recover for long. With a speed that surprised even the jounin, his attacked had darted forwards and aimed for Shikamaru's leg. In return, said leg was kicked upwards, smashing into his attacker's face. With the man winded, Shikamaru's hand shot forwards and wrapped around his attacker's face. The momentum carried the pair towards the wall, where the attacker was pressed towards it, choking for air as Shikamaru's fingers tightened their grip. At the back of his mind, Shikamaru wondered why it was so easy. He had assumed his attacker was Kako in disguise, but then… she would have put up a better fight.

_"Who are you?" _Shikamaru hissed in his mother tongue. His other hand scrabbled for the curtain nearby, and he swung it open, allowing moonlight to stream in, illuminating the face.

_"Deen-u? Deen-u Toh-mas?"_

Dean Thomas, a Gryffindor fifth year, classmate and dorm mate of Harry and Ron.

But then Shikamaru's eyes narrowed.

_"Kai," _Shikamaru hissed. _"Don't fool me with an illusion, you bastard."_

The air around 'Dean' shimmered, but before Shikamaru could see his real face, his attacker's hand twitched, and then an acrid-smelling, thick black smoke filled the air.

Coughing, Shikamaru's grip loosened, but that was all his attacker needed. A sharp crack was heard, and pain exploded in his left pointer and middle fingers. Blinded, with smoke stinging his eyes and filling his mouth, Shikamaru stumbled away, trying to ignore his throbbing hand. Quick footsteps were heard, and then silence.

* * *

><p>"Thank you," Shikamaru muttered, casting his gaze downwards.<p>

"No problem," Hermione said. Her tone was brisk, but at the same time, gentle. She stowed her wand away, and then moved to sit next to Harry and Ron.

"So…" Ron screwed his face up, apparently thinking hard, "… um, actually, can you explain that again?"

Shikamaru held back a sigh.

"Someone attack me, maybe two hour ago, yeah? Think maybe Kako, under _genjutsu_ of man. Fight a little, and when I pin him, I open curtain. Lots of light come in. But I idiot; I too busy look at his face, not secure hands. Probably make another _genjutsu _and change in Toh-mas Deen-u to shock me. I release _genjutsu_, but missing-nin throw special smoke bomb. Get away."

"… Oh."

"Maybe do some other _genjutsu _on me before attack," Shikamaru said thoughtfully. "Make me relieve memories; guard down, see? Smart move."

"So you're not actually sure it's Kako?" Harry asked. It was now six in the morning and the sun was just shining out from the horizon. Early birds were singing far below, and the common room was chilly as Harry, Ron and Hermione sat in front of Shikamaru who was inspecting his newly-healed fingers, courtesy of the witch.

Apparently, the trio had all heard some noises downstairs, and had gone down to check. Shikamaru found that story awfully suspicious, but had not questioned the three any further. Whatever Harry, Ron and Hermione did after lights-out was none of his business. In fact, he was quite surprised no one else had woken up. He had gone up to check on the real Dean Thomas, but Harry and Ron had seen him peek in.

"No, not sure," Shikamaru said. "Trying to work out new theory. Kindly shut up while I think."

He leaned back slightly, trying to rearrange his thoughts, which were currently jumbling around in his brain, and successfully tuning out the trio's indignant murmurs.

There was something he was missing. There was a reason why he hadn't found Kako yet. The answer right _there_, but Shikamaru couldn't grab it. He couldn't work it out.

Forehead creased in concentration, he shifted his weight, settled into a more comfortable position and moved his hands into his signature thinking pose. His right fingers connected at the tips of his left fingers, each of them with their counterpart, and his narrow eyes closed.

_Chakra signatures have been noted regularly, too regularly for a master at disguise. Fire burning… wands that aren't completely destroyed; I interrupted the enemy before it was completed. All these malicious glares that are sent my way are definitely from Kako. It is possible that she's posing as several students at once? Can she use the _Kage Bunshin no Jutsu_? Probably, then she would transform then using Henge no Jutsu. But why haven't I detected any chakra from the clones? She could be hiding them using a strong genjutsu, since she's an expert, but even then her clones would be smart enough to avoid detection and not stare at me as if they want to kill me. But then if that possibility is ruled out, that only leaves–_

Shikamaru's eyes flew open, and his hands dropped limply to his sides.

_"I see," _Shikamaru said quietly to himself. He knew. Shikamaru knew exactly what was happening here. Why didn't he work it out sooner? The clues had been dancing right in front of him.

While he had been analysing, the sun has risen properly, bathing the common room in minted light. He could hear mumbles from the dormitories; the kids were waking up. Harry, Ron and Hermione were all staring at him; how long had they been sitting there, anyway? They were quite patient for teenagers.

Shikamaru leapt to his feet, intending to weasel out all _imposters _before herding them together.

"You stay here," Shikamaru said, distracted and trying to find a solution. Of course, Harry, Ron and Hermione rose to their feet, babbling and asking and being just plain irritating. A rational part of Shikamaru said that he should forcefully keep them out of this mess. It was dangerous, not something for civilian kids. But the bigger, dominant part said that this was too important and critical to waste any time.

_More than one imposter, _Shikamaru thought. _Fuck this! Naruto never told me that Kako had buddies!_

Inwardly, he ticked off the people who seemed suspicious: that little second year boy–was he in Hufflepuff?–who had given him an evil look on the Hogwarts Express (_I think his name was Sam Recklore… or was it Samuel Recklaire?)_; Marietta Edgecombe, a sixth year from Ravenclaw; Seamus Finnigan, fifth year from Gryffindor… was that all? Was he missing something?

_Gina Foremann, a fourth year in Slytherin._

The name clicked in Shikamaru's mind. Perhaps it was his experience that came with years of hunting down missing-nin for the village, or perhaps it was just his intuition, but Shikamaru had a feeling that Gina was a foe as well. He added her to his mental list. Kako had spread out her little minions in most grades and all houses.

Was there anyone else?

If Shikamaru screwed this up… if there were more enemies in the castle, then by capturing these four, he would alert the rest and they would have time to escape. Was it a risk he was willing to take? Should he wait?

Shikamaru uttered a low growl at his indecisiveness. Now that he knew what was happening, he was impatient to start. He wanted this mission over and done with.

After standing there for two minutes, Shikamaru turned towards the winding staircase and shot upstairs to capture Seamus.

Neville had been pulling on a sock when a large, ominous shadow fell over him.

"Um… what are you doing up here?" Neville heard Seamus ask uncertainly. The fourth year boys were all in their dormitories, and Neville gave an involuntary squeak when he saw the intruder. Dean had paused in the finding of his books and glanced up.

Shikamaru stood in the doorway, his face scarily blank and unfeeling. For the first time, Neville noticed how _strong _he looked. The foreign professor looked so foreboding, so dangerous, that for a second, Neville felt the tiniest trickle of fear inside him.

"Seamus Finnigan," Shikamaru said, his voice eerily frightening despite his Japanese accent, "or whoever you are. Come with me."

Seamus was standing completely still, his face unreadable. Neville found this extremely strange, until he saw the way Seamus' posture indicated that he was readying himself for a fight and the way his eyes flickered around to find the exits.

Neville didn't understand. He spotted a figure behind Shikamaru: Harry. Harry and Ron and Hermione. But why did they look so shocked?

"Oh no," Harry said. Disbelief flooded his face. "Come on, Shikamaru. Not Seamus. It can't be Seamus."

"Harry?" Neville said in a small voice.

"What's happening?" Dean demanded. He went over and stood protectively in front of his best friend. "What are you going to do to him?"

Shikamaru's eyes flashed. "Toh-mas-san, get away. He not Seamus. That is not friend."

"What are you talking about?" Dean snarled.

For a minute everything was silent and unmoving, and in the next… well, Neville wasn't sure _what _happened. But one second Seamus was just _there_, and in the next, something gleamed in his hand, and he was holding Dean in a chokehold.

"Don't move," Seamus whispered. His blue eyes glittered malevolently.

"S-Seamus?" Dean spluttered. His face was turning purple, and Seamus pressed the tip of the knife to Dean's chest.

"Put it down," Shikamaru hissed. _"Don't drag innocent people into this, you scumbag."_

_"Does it look like I give a shit?" _Seamus sneered.

Neville–who hadn't understood a word of this–had begun to notice that Seamus' Irish accent was fading. Instead, it was getting replaced by the more familiar Japanese accent.

There was a breeze that whooshed past Neville's face, and his eyes widened when he realised that Shikamaru had moved so fast he had become nothing more than a blur. Shikamaru launched himself at Seamus and Dean, and Seamus, seeing this, pushed his hostage away just in time to guard himself from Shikamaru's fist.

There was an audible thud when Shikamaru's arm hit itself against Seamus' open palm, and the two struggled for a second, fighting over dominance, before Shikamaru directed the force away from himself and leapt to the side.

"Get away!" Shikamaru shouted over his shoulder. Neville, reacting immediately, grabbed Dean by the front of his robes and dragged him towards Harry and Ron.

"We have to get a teacher!" Harry yelled. Not questioning anything for once, Ron merely nodded, his face white, and the boys sprinted out of the common room.

Back in the now-empty dormitory, Shikamaru clung to the walls like a spider with chakra in his hands and feet, while Seamus stared up at him with a grin that looked too cold to be just a boy's.

_"Guess I don't need this fucking genjutsu anymore," _Seamus said, casually rolling his shoulders. _"It didn't last for long."_

And before Shikamaru's calculating, unchanging eyes, 'Seamus' disappeared in a _poof _of smoke, and a stranger materialised in his place. It was not Kako, but a male teenager younger than her. Perhaps seventeen years?

This stranger had long black hair that hung down to his shoulder blades in messy dreadlocks. He was quite tall, but there were lean, corded muscles clearly visible through his sleeveless black turtleneck. He wore black pants with the usual bandages on his right upper thigh, over which a pouch was tied, and dark shinobi sandals over barely visible fishnets. Bandages were wrapped on both his arms, going from his wrist and all the way up to his biceps. He had pale skin and high cheekbones, but the most startling thing about his face was that it had three long claw-shaped scars on his left cheek.

The boy–for Shikamaru couldn't help but think of him as a mere kid–was clearly comfortable and at ease in a fight. Shikamaru could tell by his stance that the boy had been in many battles, and more often than not emerged as the victor. His brown eyes–like all ninja–belonged to the eyes of a killer.

_"So it was you who attacked me last night," _Shikamaru asked, as if he was talking about the weather. _"Who the hell are you?"_

The boy smiled. _"Miura Masato, at your service." _Masato gave him a mocking bow. _"And you are?"_

Shikamaru jerked his head up proudly. _"Nara Shikamaru, Konoha jounin."_

_"Oh, I'm well aware of what village you're from," _Masato said, eyeing his flak jacket and forehead protector with apparent distaste. _"But my, oh my, what kind of village sends over an old geezer to eliminate a missing-nin, eh?"_

_"This old geezer has a few tricks up his sleeve," _Shikamaru said coolly. _"Learn you respect your elders, you brat."_

_"Don't talk big–"_

_"Kage Nui no Jutsu!" _Shadow Sewing Technique!

Spindly black shadows rose up from the ground, stretching and spreading out like demons. They reared, and then enveloped themselves around Masato in a sudden rush of darkness. Blood splattered the surrounding beds when the needle-like projectiles speared Masato through his shoulders, and a yell pierced the air.

_"Fuck," _Masato gasped. Tears of pain had sprung into his eyes and he fell to his knees.

_"That was almost too easy," _Shikamaru said. He regarded the boy suspiciously. _"What are you planning?"_

Masato glared up at him from the ground, his blood staining the thick carpet. His lips curved upwards, and Shikamaru felt the boy's chakra flare.

_Shit!_

Shikamaru felt another chakra response blaze from somewhere else in the castle, and it disappeared, only to reappear behind him.

_Fucking brat called for backup, _Shikamaru thought to himself.

He dodged purely out of his instinct (he almost slammed into Harry's bed as he did so) and his jutsu was cancelled. The shadows retreated back to their respective positions, and Masato staggered to his feet. Twisting around, Shikamaru saw his second attacker.

It wasn't Kako either.

Holding up Masato with a hint of annoyance on his face was yet _another _random.

_"Let me guess, you're a missing-nin in disguise too?" _Shikamaru asked in a long-suffering voice, but his eyes belied his wariness.

It was the little second year Hufflepuff who had glared at him on the Hogwarts Express. At least, that was his outward appearance.

_"Aw man, you're the bastard who saves me?" _Masato said, his voice annoyed, _"Why couldn't it have been Sensei?"_

_"Would you rather Aika?" _snapped the newcomer.

_"True. Now drop the genjutsu, it pisses me off," _Masato told the kid, who rolled his eyes, but did as he was told.

_"Pleasure to meet you; my name is Ishikawa Yuji," _said the newcomer, rising up from the ground. He shifted slightly, and turned to look at Shikamaru.

Yuji had a strange combination of features. He was of average height and build, and had dull green hair that reached his shoulders. Sad purple eyes peered at Shikamaru through his long fringe, and the jounin spotted an earring in his right lobe. Yuji wore a loose green yukata, and the outline of a tanto was barely visible in its folds. His skin was tanned and unblemished, and the sleeves of Yuji's clothes were stuffed full of weapons.

He lifted one of his sandaled feet, and Shikamaru tensed. They locked gazes, and out of the corner of Shikamaru's eye, he saw Masato move slightly, glancing at the doorway of the dormitory. The sound of pounding feet was heard, and Shikamaru bit his tongue in order to stay silent even though he _really _wanted to scream curses to the high heavens.

_"Is this the best help you can get?" _Masato jeered, _"The aid of a woman who has one foot in the grave?"_

Professor McGonagall appeared, brandishing her wand like a fool, her nostrils flared and her eyes sparking with fury.

"Go away!" Shikamaru shouted, turning towards her. He probably sounded quite rude, but right then and there, he didn't give a flying fuck. "Stay out of this! Dangerous!"

"Professor Nara!" the Transfiguration teacher cried. "What–?"

"Not. Now," Shikamaru growled. His eyes widened when, as he looked back at the two enemies, they simply gave him contemptuous smiles and (with a little wave from Masato) _poofed _away in a cloud of smoke.

Staring at the empty space for a few seconds, the situation caught up with the jounin, and he snarled in rage. He dropped down from the wall and, in order to _not _punch the teacher in the face, slammed his fist into a bedpost instead.

_I had them! _Shikamaru thought ferociously. _They were right fucking there!_

"Professor Nara, please calm–" Professor McGonagall began, but Shikamaru spun towards her and the sight of his face made her stop.

"Your fault they get away," Shikamaru hissed. He was losing control, and a little voice at the back of his mind told him that this was worrisome. Shikamaru did not get angry often. What was wrong? But then the voice was overridden by the absolute _anger _he was currently feeling.

"Now wait–"

"Shut. Up. This is all _your _fault!"

* * *

><p><em>It wasn't as if he <em>wanted _to fight. He wasn't even sure how things had escalated so quickly._

_At first, it had been a playful, offhand comment._

_"Shikamaru, I think your laziness is rubbing off on Hotaka," Temari said with a small smile. "All he does is stare at clouds; he should practice his kunai throwing."_

_"Let him watch the clouds. It's good for his mind," Shikamaru said._

_Temari slung herself over the back of the couch, her head near Shikamaru's. "I know, it helps him think. But he has to practice as well, or he'll never get better."_

_"I watched clouds and survived."_

_"But Hotaka may not be like you."_

_"Or he might."_

_"Shikamaru!" Temari's voice grew harsh. "Stop spoiling him."_

_Shikamaru looked up, his brown eyes, usually so bored and listless, grew sharp. "I'm not spoiling him. I'm just saying that cloud gazing will clear his mind and relax him. It's essential so that he won't get too tense when he does practice."_

_"But when he's on missions he won't have the luxury to do that. He has to learn to deal under stress."_

_Both of them had Hotaka's best interests in their hearts, and yet they went about different ways in showing it._

_That was the first rift._

* * *

><p>Shikamaru has a high level of respect for McGonagall, but since he was in the middle of starting a fight with Masato and Yuji, and then she interrupts it… he lost it, which is highly strange for him, I'll admit. Keep that in mind.<p>

So how was this chapter? I knooow, I'm sooorry! I added in more OCs, even though it'll be even more confusing! But I'm going to ask you all to trust me on this. I know what I'm doing with the story and I am relatively certain that the OCs will not turn into the dreaded Mary Sue/Gary Stu.

I'm not sure about future updates from now on. I've written ahead, so I'll probably make the monthly deadline, but I need some time to think and focus on schoolwork. I'm sorry.

Updated: 14 October 2012


	10. Grief -- The Red Witch Appears

Hi everyone. It's been a while. Three months, to be exact.

… I'm sorry.

Does anyone remember this story? You know, it's the one with fully-grown Shikamaru who goes to Hogwarts to find missing-nin? With a feuding Temari and two kids? You know, that story?

None? I expected as much, seeing as I've been away for so long and all. Reread a bit of the last chapter and hopefully you'll get up to date.

.

On a completely different note: _Naruto_ chapter 614.

Oh. My. God. I just stared at the last page, unable to believe it, and then just randomly started sobbing my eyes out. First time I ever cried reading a manga, but there you go. *Name of character who died* PLEASE COME BACK!

Those who follow the manga should know who I'm talking about. His death just totally screws up like half my fanfictions. AND HE WAS AN AWESOME CHARACTER!

I was wondering whether or not Kishimoto was going to be realistic and kill off some of our favourites, seeing as it _is _a war and all… But now I've decided that I hate realism. BRING HIM BACK!

.

Chapter Ten: Grief ~ The Red Witch Appears

* * *

><p>Once again, once more, an emergency staff meeting had been called. This time, even Shikamaru couldn't escape the spotlight that he had been thrust under.<p>

He sat, as per usual, next to Umbridge, like at the High Table. Professor McGonagall was opposite him, and her hawk-like eyes often flashed to his face, her glare beady and mistrusting.

Professors Sinistra, Sprout, Babbling and Flitwick were unusually silent, all four waiting for Dumbledore to speak. Professors Hagrid and Trelawney was both speaking very loudly, Hagrid trying to tell everyone about the fire he had seen burning just half an hour ago down in the Forbidden Forest, and Trelawney wailing and predicting the death of everyone in the room.

Professor Snape sat with his hands folded, his face livid and his mouth pressed into a thin white line. He eyed the rest of the teachers with disdain and then finally rested his gaze on Dumbledore, who was staring at the table as if it held all the answers.

"What you find?" Shikamaru asked quietly.

His voice cut through all the noise, and the teachers fell silent, looking at either Dumbledore or Shikamaru. The jounin knew that this meeting wasn't called simply for the two missing-nin that had appeared in Gryffindor Tower, but for a much bigger problem that had just been uncovered.

He had heard screaming and shrieking as he and Professor McGonagall exited the common room, and a few seconds later, Dumbledore's voice had boomed magically all over the school.

_Professor McGonagall regarded Shikamaru with a complex expression on her face, and then she finally said, "Come, Professor Nara. We're going to see Albus."_

_Shikamaru sighed inwardly and followed her, but before he had taken more than three steps, a loud cry drifted up from the grounds. He and the Transfiguration teacher hurried over to the window where they spotted Hagrid running out of the Forbidden Forest. Even at this distance, they could both see that his face was drained of blood and that his massive hands were shaking hard._

_"Somebody!" he yelled. "Someone come down 'ere! There are bodies! I found bodies!"_

_The shock and grief in his voice was palpable and the two adults froze for a second before they both sprung into action, running down to the grounds themselves._

_But just as they reached the bottom of the staircase, Dumbledore's voice was heard all over the castle._

_"All students will return to their common rooms immediately. All teachers will converge in the teachers' staff room without delay."_

It was barely eight in the morning; classes had been cancelled, and everyone was tense and frustrated.

"You want to know what we found, Nara?" Snape snarled, dropping his title and baring his teeth at Shikamaru. The jounin had never seen Snape look so shaken up. His face was pale and his fingers trembled. Shikamaru stared back at him calmly and said, "What?"

"Four bodies," said Dumbledore. His voice was very, very soft, but underneath it all a terrible, bubbling fury was evident. Dumbledore barely looked in control; his blue eyes had lost their warmth, and his frame, though bent with old age, was quivering. His jaw was hard and sparks kept shooting out of the end of the Headmaster's wand.

Shikamaru finally saw _why _Dumbledore was so feared and respected. This man–this wizard–was so _powerful. _Shikamaru could see that now. Underneath all the merriment and chuckles hid the shadow of an awful beast. He knew that if Dumbledore wanted to, he could wipe out the population of Hogwarts with a simple, murmured word.

"Four bodies," Shikamaru repeated. He struggled to keep his emotions at bay, struggled to reign in the shock that was spreading through his body. He tried to keep himself distant, to analyse it like an uncaring third-party observer.

"Would they happen to be the bodies of Sam Recklore, Marietta Edgecombe, Seamus Finnigan and Gina Foremann?" Shikamaru asked, his voice vague. He knew who the second year Hufflepuff was. He had just remembered his name to be Sam Recklore.

"Three out of four, you got right," Dumbledore said. His voice was equally faint, his eyes unfocused. "The fourth is not Marietta Edgecombe."

Shikamaru head snapped up. "Then who?" he asked in confusion.

"Cho Chang."

Shikamaru stared at Dumbledore, his mouth slightly open. Then, he drew back and slumped against the spine of his chair with a bitter laugh. "My calculation incorrect; I believe that it was Edgecombe-san, not Chang-san."

"You _knew _about this?" Professor Sprout finally said. Her voice was incredulous, and Shikamaru saw, to his numb surprise, that she was on the verge of crying. "You _knew _about these bodies?"

"No," Shikamaru said sharply. "I not know. But I know there were fakes. I not think about the real ones."

He buried his face into his hands, heaving a shuddering breath. How could he have forgotten? _Why _had he forgotten about the actual people whom the missing-nin were impersonating?

"Were they burned?" Shikamaru asked suddenly.

"No," said Hagrid. His voice was thick. "They were jus'… buried. I was tryin' ter find some creatures fer my next class… then I came 'cross some overturn' dirt. Though maybe I migh' find somethin' there, you know. Some animals like ter bury their treasure. Dug it up… then…"

Hagrid broke off and tears leaked out of his beetle-black eyes. Professor Flitwick hesitated, and then patted him tentatively on the arm.

"Albus… what are we going to tell the students?" Professor McGonagall whispered. "Four deaths… it's so…"

"Four deaths not be a lot," Shikamaru said, his voice barely audible, "if this goes on."

Dumbledore finally looked at Shikamaru, and once he did, his form seemed to swell with anger. "This is your fault," Dumbledore said, his voice strained. "You were the one who brought these ninja here. I. Want. You. Out. NOW!"

Shikamaru did not falter when he stared back at Dumbledore, but his eyes lowered a fraction. "Yes, is my fault. I should've spent more time looking. But my guess is: the four students have been dead for more than a week. Even before the Ho-gu-wart-su Express left station eight days ago… But remember this: who is the one who does not let me into Hogwarts to look for them, eh?"

Dumbledore stared at Shikamaru wordlessly for a second. Then, another spark flew out of the wizard's wand.

"Albus, no," Professor McGonagall said through her teeth when she saw the Headmaster's arm rise. "Albus, _get a grip_!"

"Cursing me no get rid of them," Shikamaru said, looking at Dumbledore evenly. "You need me. I is the only one who can eliminate them."

"Headmaster," Professor Sinistra said warningly.

"Calm down," Professor Flitwick said.

"If you kill him, you'll regret it," Professor Trelawney whispered.

Dumbledore seemed to struggle with himself for a second, and then he lowered his arm.

"Get…. out… of here," Dumbledore said. His voice was cracking and his fingers were clenched against his forehead. "Get out of my sight."

"As you wish," Shikamaru said. His tone was flat, and as he performed the hand seals for a quick escape, Professor Umbridge, who had been silent all through the meeting, asked, "Who exactly _are _you?"

Her voice was no longer sweet, but businesslike, and her pouchy toad eyes were glaring at him.

"I…" Shikamaru murmured, but then paused. Raising his eyes to meet Dumbledore's, he said, "I is just a foreign inspection professor, Umbridge-sensei."

* * *

><p>Sighing to himself, Shikamaru had gotten away and now stood in front of the portrait of the Fat Lady. She stared down at him curiously, but evidently word of his position in this situation had not spread to other parts of Hogwarts just yet.<p>

Quickly giving her the password, Shikamaru went inside. He had left his pack there, and he needed it back, especially since it contained some important information.

What he didn't expect, though he should have, was a very full common room filled with inquisitive little brats who did not understand the phrase, _'None of your business.'_

"Shikamaru," called a voice. Shikamaru picked out Harry from the crowd and he headed towards him. The boy held his pack and Shikamaru took this gratefully. "What's happen-?"

"Your Headmaster got angry at me and now want me to piss the fuck off," Shikamaru said. There, that was his condition in a nutshell. He sighed deeply. "Four students is confirm dead."

"What?" Harry gaped. Shikamaru had accidently said this louder than he intended, and now fearful whispers spread around the room like ripples. "Who?"

Shikamaru paused, but figured that they would find out soon enough anyway. "Sam Recklore, of second year Hufflepuff; Gina Foremann, of fourth year Slytherin; Seamus Finnigan–" there were audible gasps at this "–of fifth year Gryffindor; Cho Chang–" Shikamaru tried to ignore how horror replaced the expression of shock on Harry's face "–of sixth year Ravenclaw."

"Ch-Cho?" Harry stammered. Shikamaru looked at the boy regretfully, and put a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry," Shikamaru said quietly. Without another word, he disappeared in a pool of smoke.

* * *

><p>The four dead students were laid on the lawn where further instructions would be issued on what to do with them. Shikamaru took this chance to see how they were killed, but also to pay his respects.<p>

Sam Recklore was a tiny little boy. Dark brown hair and lots of freckles across his face, he looked so small and innocent in his huge Hogwarts robes. His throat had been neatly slashed and his blood could barely be seen against the black of his clothing. It stained his face and hands.

Gina Foremann lay stretched out beside Sam. Her blonde hair was matted with dirt and splayed around her head. Unlike Sam, there were no visible wounds on her body, nothing to indicate that she had been hurt. However, when Shikamaru inspected the bodies, he found something extremely strange. Her stomach was bulging out of her shirt, unnaturally so. When Shikamaru raised her shirt and touched it, he felt something soft and decidedly disgusting underneath her skin. For a few minutes, Shikamaru stared at her, nudging her flesh while a few hundred different theories bounced around in his brain. Then, he found a highly possible answer: one of the missing-nin had the ability to rearrange internal organs. What a sickening skill. Shikamaru hoped that he was wrong; he did not want to deal with a shinobi like that.

With his head lolled to the side, Seamus Finnigan had a straightforward cause of death: broken neck. His brown hair had masked most of face, but it did not hide the grotesque angle his neck was lying at. His eyes were open, though speckled with dirt, and they were wide with shock. Shikamaru tried not to look into them.

Finally, Cho Chang rested on her back with an oddly peaceful expression. Shikamaru thought that it was probable that she was placed under a genjutsu at her time of death. If she had such a calm appearance, then would not have been scared when she was killed. There was a hole at her throat, presumably where the attacker had shoved a kunai before pulling it out again. It would have been so quick that Cho would not have felt a thing.

It was here, examining the bodies, that Shikamaru began to form his hypothesises on the personalities of these four missing-nin. For now, he would assume that the four would have killed one student each.

The killer of Sam would probably be someone who did not like to waste time. His knife wound was quick and almost elegant, as if he or she was used to doing this sort of stuff and was bored by it.

For Gina, Shikamaru was guessing a shinobi who was sadistic. He was pretty sure that the rearrangement of organs would be very excruciating, and it appeared that it had been inflicted before death.

A simple and uninterested ninja was Seamus' killer, by the looks of his injuries, as his broken neck was straightforward and not extravagant. Shikamaru was ninety-nine percent sure that this was the doing of Kako.

As for Cho, Shikamaru was willing to bet that her attacker was the type who felt pity for his or her victims, and yet still continued to kill. It was these types of shinobi whom Shikamaru had encountered many times before. However, though the attacker felt remorse over the victims, Shikamaru knew that he or she was a skilled ninja; Cho's stab wound was sure and definite. There was no hesitation.

Shikamaru sighed softly. His analysis of the situation was finished; he just wanted to find Kako now and go home. He surveyed the four bodies once, and then bowed low to them all. With a small apology for not being there in time, Shikamaru turned around and stared up at the castle.

_"Mendokuse."_

* * *

><p>It was hard to believe that Shikamaru had been at Hogwarts for only a week, and already, the place was messed up, screwed over and fucked with.<p>

Just a few hours after the staff meeting, Dumbledore called all students and teachers alike into the Great Hall, where he explained what had happened and what was going to happen next. Four owls had already been sent to the deceased's families, and the next day, funeral services were held.

Shikamaru did not attend this, but spent his time searching for the four missing-nin that had snuck into Hogwarts. He knew about Kako, Masato and Yuji, and he named the fourth as Aika; Yuji had mentioned her.

Piecing all this together, Shikamaru concluded that Kako had picked up students, since Masato had referred to someone as 'Sensei', and that could only be her. Masato and Yuji were obviously pupils, and Aika was the third student.

* * *

><p>One week since the discovery of the four bodies had passed, and Shikamaru now stayed out of the way of the Hogwarts population. He dimly remembered at the back of his mind that today was September twenty-second. It was his birthday. He was thirty as of today. Inwardly, he was glad that he had hidden away; no one had to 'celebrate' it with him.<p>

Nobody really saw much of him and during mealtimes, Shikamaru would play 'fishing' with his Shadow Sewing Technique whereby he sat up at the rafters of the Great Hall and hooked food from the tables using his shadows. It was normally so quick that the inattentive students did not know what had disappeared from the plates.

"I wonder if he's alright," said Harry, staring at the place where two legs of chicken had been previously before he had blinked and they had vanished. He did not specify who 'he' was, but both Hermione and Ron knew.

"He'll be fine," said Hermione briskly. "He doesn't look very weak to me."

"No, but still… I have this really weird feeling that Dumbledore blames him for what happened," Harry said, glancing over at the High Table where the Headmaster sat.

"You know what? I agree," Ron said, surprising the two of them.

The absence of the professor from Japan had not gone unnoticed, even amongst the mist of misery that shrouded the castle. Though people questioned, no one had any answers, and Professor Nara was shoved to the backs of people's minds.

Hogwarts seemed to be a very dark place now, and Harry couldn't help but think about the argument he had with Seamus on the first night of term, before reminding himself that it wasn't really _Seamus. _It had been an enemy.

Dean Thomas was having it worse. The death of his best friend had rattled him to the core, and he now spent his days at the back of the classroom, staring off into space and not concentrating on a word the teachers were saying. In return, none of the teachers had the heart to tell him to listen up as they pitied the boy and left him to his own sorrow. Nothing anyone said made a difference to Dean, and Harry felt, for the first time here, a sense of helplessness descend upon him. Though Dean was not a close friend, he was still a friend, and Harry, seeing him so depressed and downcast, did not know what to do.

Marietta Edgecombe was often seen crying her eyes out in bathrooms and all over the school, often without warning. Sometimes, she would just be staring at a book, when all of a sudden, tears would spring into her eyes and she would have to be taken outside of the classroom to calm down.

One time, Harry had met her in the corridor, and Marietta, seeing Harry, stared at him for a second before she burst into racking sobs. Bewildered and not knowing what else to do, he tried to comfort her.

"Ch-Cho really liked you, you know," Marietta wept as Harry put an arm around her. He stilled, and remorse and sadness erupted in his heart like a volcano. "She–she felt really bad when she turned you down last year at the Ball…"

Stunned into silence and engulfed in melancholy, Harry simply patted her back and said, almost inaudibly, "It's okay."

Sometimes, staring into the fire late at night in the common room, Harry would often ask himself questions. Would something have happened between himself and Cho this year? Would they have gone out? Would they have just remained friends?

All the thoughts almost drove Harry crazy, and though he had only known Cho for a year, only _liked _her for a year, he felt a strange hole in his chest, directly over his heart. And in those dark nights, despite the warmth of the fire, Harry would feel cold and gloomy, and from time to time, tears fell from his eyes in silent rivers.

He had also witnessed some Slytherins crying over the loss of Gina. Always having thought that the people of the house of snakes were cold and uncaring, Harry was proved drastically wrong when one day, in the Great Hall, a Slytherin girl stood up, shrieked out for everyone to hear, "This isn't fair! _This isn't fair!"_ and stalked out of the silence that suddenly appeared. A second later, her friend got up and followed her, her shoulders shaking visibly.

Hufflepuff were quieter in their show of grief, but it was there, nonetheless. Harry had seen them work doubly hard, all Hufflepuffs filling up the library and dragging homework down to mealtimes. One day, when he asked Ernie Macmillan why they were studying so much, he had simply said, "This is our way of remembering Sam Recklore. As a house, though we are not as intellectually smart as Ravenclaws, as brave as Gryffindors nor as cunning as Slytherins, we are loyal and work harder than the rest. This is our way of paying tribute to Sam."

And for the first time, Harry saw almost no rivalry between the houses. This incident–this tragic, tragic incident–had drawn the houses together in their sorrow. They were all mourning, all anguished by the loss of four fine witches and wizards, that unconsciously, they had huddled a little closer in an effort to diminish their pain.

* * *

><p>Kako and her students had disappeared from the castle, further emphasising the emptiness that the dead students left behind now that there was no one to impersonate them. Shikamaru was quite sure that they were not posing as others, as everyone had been warned via Dumbledore about the dangers of the missing-nin. The Hogwarts students did not know the full story, only that there were imposters in the castle and they had to be on the lookout. Now, everyone was wary of everyone else, and though this method worked in eliminating would-be disguisers, it sowed disquiet and unease throughout the castle.<p>

Shikamaru had not appeared again in front of Dumbledore and his staff. Only Professors McGonagall and Snape knew who he really was, and they weren't prepared to say anything. Though Dumbledore knew that the jounin was still there, he simply told the others that Shikamaru had returned to Japan, and that was the end of the discussion.

"It's not fair," Harry said, glaring at the pie he was trying to eat.

"What's not fair?" Ron asked vaguely, staring out the window. He was playing with a spoon, not concentrating on anything. Hermione's sharp eyes darted upwards to Harry's face in an instant, and she frowned.

"Why are you so worried about him, Harry?" Hermione asked. "He's fine."

"I'm not worried. I'm just… I'm not worried," said Harry stubbornly. He stabbed the pie and then left his fork there.

"About Shikamaru, eh?" said Ron. His eyes drifted towards the pair, and he sobered up. "Hermione's right, you know. He'll be fine."

Harry bit his lip, knowing that the reason _why _he was anxious was seemingly strange. But it was as if Hermione knew his thoughts, and she let out a breath, and said in a resigned voice, "What is it?"

Harry glanced up at her, and found his two friends staring at him intently. His mouth opened and closed for a moment or so, and then everything poured out.

"I haven't seen Sirius happy for a long time," Harry blurted out, but kept his voice to a murmur in case of eavesdroppers. The Great Hall was filled with them. "And–and when I went to Grimmauld Place last holidays… Shikamaru was there… and Sirius looked so damn happy. It's like… like Shikamaru was someone whom Sirius could share all his troubles and stuff without fearing discovery. Lupin only stops by once in a while, and that's not enough. Sirius–Sirius actually had a friend for the first time in a long time. Every letter I write to him, he sends on back, and in his replies, he always asks, 'How is Shikamaru?' Every single one of them."

Harry stopped talking, for fear of Hermione snapping at him because he was sending letters when he wasn't supposed to. But to his surprise, both Hermione and Ron listened without a change in expression, and both took on thoughtful looks. Then, Hermione smiled tenderly at him.

"And you're afraid that if something happens to Shikamaru, then Sirius will get all–"

"Depressed," Ron finished. Harry nodded.

"I mean, I know Shikamaru only knew Sirius for–what?–a month? A little less than that? But the two hit off really well. And I know Sirius will be sad if something happened to Shikamaru," Harry concluded.

"You're worrying over nothing," Ron said airily, leaning back. His features relaxed. "Told you: Shikamaru will be fine."

"For once, I agree with Ronald," Hermione concurred. Her lips curved upwards as she tried to reassure her friend. "He'll be fine. They both will."

* * *

><p>"How troublesome," Shikamaru said softly to himself.<p>

He stood quietly in front of the towering trees of the Forbidden Forest, gazing up at them with bored wonder.

_I really want to go cloud watching, _Shikamaru thought longingly. _Maybe it'll help me forget… But… the mission comes first. Goddammit._

He entered the trees, and as he did so, noticed the immediate hush that befell his surroundings, as if there was a predator loose. The birds stopped squawking, the animals stopped rustling, and the only thing that moved were the rustling branches overhead.

Despite himself, Shikamaru started moving about much more quietly as well (which wasn't very hard for him). He knew that there was something in here that had caused the animals to cease their noises.

Ah, perhaps it was the _very _strong killing intent that was coming up straight ahead?

Yeah, most likely.

Something slammed into Shikamaru with all the force of a rhino, and the jounin grunted as he threw the weight off. He had already been expecting it, so he had minimal injuries.

_"Who the hell are you?" _Shikamaru asked lazily, turning to the kunoichi crouching behind him. A name flashed in his mind. _"Wait, let me guess: you're Aika, aren't you?"_

_"Kumori Aika," _the girl corrected in a soft, slow voice. Shadowed love song. That was what her name meant.

_"Kumori Aika, student of Ohayashi Kako," _Shikamaru said. _"The missing-nin who killed Sam Recklore, correct?"_

The girl straightened up, the leaves barely making a rustle, and ignored his statement. _"I am also known as Aka Majo."_

_"The Red Witch," _Shikamaru said dryly. _"How fitting."_

It really was. Aika had hair the colour of fire and it hung down to her elbows and a long fringe that hid her right eye and came down to her collarbone. Her skin was milky white–almost unnaturally so–and on her ears gleamed earrings that looked like rubies which were carved into character for 'water'. A contradiction. She wore a sash, an apron-like skirt which came down to the bottom of her knees and short skin-tight pants. A sleeveless top that showed too much of her stomach was her only covering for her upper body. She wore fishnets everywhere and the standard shinobi sandals. However, the weirdest thing about her appearance was the wrappings of bandages that covered her neck and half her face. Shikamaru was reminded of Kakashi's mask.

But the scariest thing was her one visible eye, the other being hidden behind her hair. It was pitch-black; no pupil could be distinguished from the iris, and it was very, very cold.

Though Shikamaru could not see Aika's mouth, courtesy of her bandage wrappings, he could almost _feel _her lips curl in disgust as she eyed him, analysed him, much like he was doing to her. But then, like him, she met his eyes, and perhaps she saw a dangerous opponent in them, for she leaned back and regarded Shikamaru with new respect.

Aika's exterior was one of a weak little female, but Shikamaru knew better. He saw the lean muscles in her arms and legs, saw the calluses on her palms and fingers, saw the _experience _that Aika held in her posture. Even at first glance, Shikamaru could tell that she was a risky enemy to deal with. The fact that her freezing, depthless eyes displayed no emotion made it even harder for Shikamaru to judge her personality. That, and the fact that the rest of her face was concealed from him as well.

_There is dirt encrusted in her sandals and since it hasn't rained recently it must mean that she has been in this forest for a while to get that much mud on herself. Her clothing is both loose and tight… it's hard to determine what combat range she is. Tight clothes are normally worn if someone is a short-range fighter so it does not interfere with their movements, while long-range fighters can wear looser clothing._

_Judging by her well-toned muscles, she is more comfortable with hand-to-hand combat, so I assume she's a short-range fighter. Her stance is an echo of the Hyuuga's Juuken pose; perhaps she has a similar ability? Probably, since she has no loose clothes in her upper body area, which means that she uses her hands quite a lot. The skirt thing is loose; maybe she doesn't use her legs as much? Her hair isn't tied up, which means she is extremely comfortable in a battle and does not believe that it will get in the way. Her hands are quite red, which is strange as her general skin tone is very pale. Has she burned herself recently? Perhaps her ability is one that deals with hot substances. That being said, I will assume that her element is fire._

Shikamaru paused in his quick analysis of her as she cocked her head over to one side. All other thoughts except for the important ones flew out of his mind, and Shikamaru tensed as he prepared himself.

_"You are a hindrance to my teammates and sensei," _Aika said quietly._ "I must eliminate you."_

_"What are you doing here?" _Shikamaru demanded. Aika hardly seemed to be the blabbering type of person, but Shikamaru had to try_._

_"That, Konoha jounin, is none of your business."_

Shikamaru sighed. _"Fine, then. Kumori-san, would you like to dance?"_

The girl seemed to smile at him. With a calculating gleam in her eye, Aika whispered, _"Alright. Let's dance."_

She lunged forwards with all the grace of a cat, and Shikamaru leapt out of the way just as lithely.

_My assumption that she is strong in hand-to-hand combat is true. She is a short-ranged fighter._

Stirring up leaves as she skidded to a halt, Aika twisted around and, using the ground as a lever, pushed herself off and used it to help her gain power. Unlike an idiot, she did not enhance her jump with chakra, knowing that she would have even lesser control over her leap than without it.

She back flipped in mid-air and one hand touched Shikamaru's shoulder and clung on. A sudden, searing heat made Shikamaru gasp out loud and shove her hand off. A few metres away, Aika landed smartly and turned around to look at him, her face as expressionless as ever.

Glancing down at his shoulder, Shikamaru was stunned to see a large hole burned cleanly through the two layers of fabric; the skin underneath was a blistering red, the fibres of his shirt and vest melting into the wound.

And in that one glance, he understood her ability immediately.

* * *

><p>I hope you guys don't mind the death of two original Harry Potter characters and two minor OCs.<p>

I think that missing-nin impersonating people will not let the originals live; it's very probable that they would kill them, right? I mean, if the missing-nin let the originals live… then… that'll be really OOC.

Aika is the last of the OCs to be introduced. I really hope you guys aren't overwhelmed or confused about the sudden increase of characters. Don't worry; all major OCs are villains, so you guys don't care, right?

Aka Majo = Red Witch

Aka = red

Majo = witch

I just stuck the two together. I really hope that's kinda/sorta/close to being right…

I also felt as if this moved very quickly. Did it move quickly to you? I'm sorry. I haven't written for quite a while. I think some plotholes have appeared. You guys gave me a lot of feedback, but I'm sorry if none made it into this chapter. I started writing this a few days ago, so naturally the comments from three months ago have sort of faded away. I'm sorry. I'll look over them later.

I noticed that I've apolgised a lot. I'm sorry. I really am.

Updated: 17 January 2013


	11. Nara Shikamaru vs Kumori Aika

Yeah, so I defected from this site and started hanging around _livejournal_ for a while. But ho, I'm back, ahahaha…

You have my apologies for leaving for so long. Like, freaking wow, ten months or something. I'm a few weeks away from graduating high school so I'm feeling a bit nostalgic. Since this fic and my other ones have been gathering dust in my fanfiction folder for like almost a year, I can't really remember all the details I was going to put in and can only guess from my timeline. Furthermore, I haven't written anything for ages apart from the odd oneshot, so my writing is rusty and in the next chapter, when I begin altering the story again, you may notice that my style has changed. This chapter was finished in like January, but I can't exactly remember why I hadn't posted it until now.

Again, quite a lot of _italics _in this chapter. This is short and really meant to assure readers that I'm not dead.

Chapter Eleven: Nara Shikamaru vs. Kumori Aika

* * *

><p><span>Recap<span>

_She back flipped in mid-air and one hand touched Shikamaru's shoulder and clung on. A sudden, searing heat made Shikamaru gasp out loud and shove her hand off. A few metres away, Aika landed smartly and turned around to look at him, her face as expressionless as ever._

_Glancing down at his shoulder, Shikamaru was stunned to see a large hole burned cleanly through the two layers of fabric; the skin underneath was a blistering red._

_And in that one glance, he understood her ability immediately._

* * *

><p><em>"Your element is fire,"<em> Shikamaru said quietly. He flexed his arm, vaguely noting the way it ached as the skin twisted and tensed. _"Like the Juuken of the Hyuuga clan, you send chakra to the palms of your hands, but unlike them, who close up the tenketsu in the body, that chakra does nothing more than–"_

_"Don't mock my ability," _Aika said coldly.

_"_–_physically burn your opponents," _Shikamaru finished, as if the girl hadn't spoken a word. _"It's like having a heated iron in the palms of your hands."_

Aika made a small sound of disgust and said, _"You talk too much, jounin."_

Before she had even finished the sentence, black shadows snaked up from the ground and shot towards her, the tips jagged and dangerously sharp. However, Aika seemed to have sensed it, and she rolled out of the way, leapt up into a tree and used chakra to stick.

Shikamaru hoped that the Forbidden Forest wouldn't get too trashed; he could feel that this fight would be a big one.

_"Where is Ohayashi Kako?" _Shikamaru asked. _"My business is with her and her alone. You and your teammates have nothing to do with it."_

Aika didn't answer. Her black eyes stared down at him as she stood from her place on the trunk of the tree.

_I am a long-distance fighter, while her range is short, _Shikamaru thought. _That is an advantage and disadvantage to both sides. If she gets close, then it would be good if I could get her into a corner and then use my shadows to trap her. But then I might not have enough time to do even that. She's quick on her feet. I guess I'll just have to rely on the old-fashioned ninja tools._

Shikamaru clasped his hands together and uttered the words, _"Kage-Kubishibari no Jutsu!" _Shadow-Neck Binding Technique!

Tiny hands with sharp fingers snaked their way over to Aika faster than the eye could blink. The kunoichi leapt out of the way but the hands managed to grab her foot. Giving a muffled gasp, Aika glanced back and tried to tug free.

With quiet zipping sounds, three kunai flashed through the air, aiming for the kunoichi's throat. She almost rolled her single eye as she twisted; the kunai flew past harmlessly.

The shadows began dragging Aika towards Shikamaru, and the girl flipped to her feet. Shikamaru reinforced the shadow on her leg in case she tried to run. But to his surprise, Aika ran, yes, but she ran _towards _him. The shadows grew slack like rope. In the second before her hands struck, the jounin saw that her palms were glowing with concentrated chakra.

Both hands hit Shikamaru's chest, and he could literally _hear _his clothes burning. The heat reached his skin, and he only had time for a pained grunt before his head was clear enough to kick Aika away. Again, his jutsu was cancelled.

_Have to finish this quickly; I'm not going to use all this chakra on nothing but a kid, _Shikamaru thought, eyes flicking down to the two burns on his ribcage. He skipped back a few steps; Aika had escaped up a tree as well. Shikamaru figured that she wasn't strong enough for continuous attacks of her jutsu. Speaking of which...

_"So... what _is_ your jutsu called?"_ Shikamaru asked. Aika snorted.

_"More talking? You Konoha-nin chat too much,"_ she said. But then she paused and then answered his previously question. _"My technique is called the Hiken."_

_"Fire Fist," _Shikamaru mused. _"The Fire Fist style... What a fitting name. Is it related to the Hyuuga clan's Juuken?"_

Aika shrugged in a very Kakashi-like manner. _"Don't know, don't care. Now stop your blabbering. I'm tired."_

She sent two kunai his way. Shikamaru caught them and sent them back after he noticed the two exploding tags attached to the ends. The kunai burrowed themselves into the trunk of a tree and Aika sprinted off before the tags could blow up, but they were still too near him. He was within the perimeter of the explosion.

Shikamaru cursed and his hands clasped together into seals. _"Kage no Tate!" _Shadow Shield!

The darkness all around them lengthened and dimmed. With their fighting space so deep into the Forest, there were plenty of shadows that aided Shikamaru in his battle. Now, with the defensive technique activated, the shadows rushed towards him and gathered around his form, creating a pitch-black dome, an impenetrable defence from all but the strongest of offensive jutsu. Shikamaru had spent years perfecting this; it could even withstand Naruto's Rasengan with minimal damage, and seeing how the current Hokage's primary attack was so powerful, Shikamaru could safely say that his shield would protect him easily against two exploding tags, even at point blank range.

_BOOM!_

The ground shuddered beneath him, cracking and splitting under his feet. The plants tore apart and the trees trembled, shaking their heavy branches. Leaves fluttered down to the ground, sliding off the black dome as if it was coated in oil.

Inside the said dome, Shikamaru held the jutsu until he was sure everything was safe. The downside to this technique was that he could not sense chakra signatures from within. It sealed him off completely from the world, encasing him in nothing but black. Even the floor of the dome was made of shadows. If he tried to tell what was going on in the outside world, his five senses were useless here. He couldn't hear anything apart from his steady breathing, couldn't see anything but from black, couldn't taste anything apart from the blood in his mouth, couldn't feel anything but the clothes on his body, he couldn't smell anything apart from his own sweat, blood and the scent of burnt flesh.

Shikamaru had been around enough exploding tags to know how long it would take for one to explode and how big the explosion would be, despite the varying factors, such as how much chakra was infused within and whatnot. Thus, he knew now that the actual detonation was over. He pitied the wildlife of the Forest.

_One, two, three_, Shikamaru chanted in his head. _Now!_

He released the jutsu and prepared his eyes for the sudden change of dark into light. His pupils narrowed, and immediately he began searching for Aika, afraid that she would do a surprise attack, preying on his muddled state; this wouldn't be the first time it had happened.

_Whump!_

Stars erupted into Shikamaru's already-dazed vision. He felt himself hit the dirt and the odour of ash and fire invaded his nostrils. Blinking, Shikamaru caught site of Aika standing a few metres away, trying not to pant or show him that she was struggling to breathe. Her ears were fading with the remains of chakra; she had done this in order to protect them against the noise of the explosion. This lesson was one of the first ones taught in the Academy: protect your ears when an exploding tag goes off, otherwise your eardrums will burst. Most of the time, ruptured eardrums were something a medic-nin could fix, but it would still be troublesome if it happened.

_"Still alive?" _Shikamaru sighed, a little disappointed and his best to clear his vision. He had hoped that Aika had been hurt in the explosion, or at least fallen off a cliff...

_"You won't get rid of me that easily," _Aika said calmly, straightening up. Her bandaged face was singed, as was the front of her shirt, though not badly. It told Shikamaru that she had been facing the exploding tag when it detonated.

The Forest around them had been reduced to piles of smoldering stumps and glowing embers. Everything within a half kilometre radius had been utterly destroyed. Aika hadn't infused much of her chakra into the tags, then. Nevertheless, the destruction was impossible to miss. Shikamaru hoped that the horses–was it horses? Shikamaru dimly remembered Harry saying something about half-man ponies or some shit–wouldn't hold this against him. Skeletal black leaves fluttered to the ground, and there weren't even any stumps left behind; the tag had blown the trees clean away.

_"Hiken," _Shikamaru barely heard Aika murmur. Her fists glowed.

_Time to end this, _Shikamaru thought grimly. _I don't care how much chakra this takes or if she's in the Bingo Book or not. Kumori Aika is going to die now._

Shikamaru dodged Aika once again and she twisted on her heel with ease. Shikamaru readied himself to use his ultimate technique, but bit his lips when he faced a problem.

_Need to buy some time._

Shikamaru felt around in his weapons holster and noted that he only had a few kunai, two shuriken, a coil of wire and some exploding tags left. He groaned inwardly. He had formulated over a hundred different distractions that could help him with Aika, but it was just so _troublesome._

"Gah!"

Shikamaru drew breath in a hiss when he felt scorching hands against the small of his back. Aika had managed to get behind him and had given him her strongest burn yet. Unbidden, tears sprang into Shikamaru's eyes as the pain rocked his body, but he still managed to swipe backwards and plunge a kunai into the kunoichi's calf.

Aika shrieked and stumbled away, clutching her leg where blood was gushing. She was smart enough not to pull the knife out.

Shikamaru's eyes lit up at this golden opportunity. Abandoning his plan to use his final jutsu, Shikamaru shoved a hand into his pouch and another kunai was in his grasp within the second; he threw it with all his might. The blade sang through the air, its aim straight and true. It whistled directly towards Aika's throat.

A blur of blue shot towards the girl and Shikamaru only had time to blink in confusion and tense his muscles before the sound of metal hitting flesh was heard. But the kunai never did hit Aika.

When everything had settled, Shikamaru's mouth dropped open when he saw the newcomer, the one who had jumped in front of her student in an attempt to protect her.

Ohayashi Kako.

* * *

><p>Shikamaru's breath hitched as the body slumped to the ground. His mind was whirling and spinning like a cyclone. He didn't understand. He didn't understand what had just happened.<p>

A scream of despair brought Shikamaru's to his senses. Aika had thrown herself forwards and caught her sensei, lowering her gently to the ground.

It was now, in near-death, that Shikamaru finally saw what Ohayashi Kako really looked like, the one whom he'd been hunting for over a month.

Like in the photograph shown to Shikamaru at the start of the mission, she had long blue hair that fanned out from her head and dull purple eyes that stared at the creamy white clouds visible above. Her vest-like jacket was soaked with the blood that was pooling from her neck, staining her tanned skin red. Her breathing was erratic, but it was slowing down as the light in Kako's eyes faded.

_"Sensei! Sensei!" _Aika shouted. She tried to staunch the bleeding, but the blood was spurting out too much. It had hit one of her arteries. _"Sensei, hold on!"_

Shikamaru drew back and forced himself to clear his mind.

_Do not feel compassionate. Do not feel guilty. This was a mission. This mission is over. Kako will die and the mission will be over. Do not show compassion, _Shikamaru chanted to himself.

It worked, though, for when Shikamaru next opened his brown orbs, they were empty and unfeeling.

_"Get out of here, brat, before I kill you too," _Shikamaru said in a cool voice, fixing his gaze on Aika. But he glanced at the Kako when he felt her eyes tremble and roam over to him.

_"Nara Shikamaru," _Kako rasped. Her voice was almost gone; the kunai had hit a spot near her voice box. Nevertheless, she managed to utter her final words. _"I curse you. May you suffer a thousand deaths, filled with pain and agony. I curse you, Nara Shikamaru."_

Ohayashi Kako gave a strange gurgle and her jaw slackened. Her fingers, which had previously been in spasm, lay still. Aika gave a howl of misery.

Shikamaru had listened to the threat without blinking, knowing it was merely the bitter words of a dying opponent. But he could not help the feeling of unease stirring in his stomach when he saw Aika's harsh eye lock onto his form.

_"You will regret not killing me, jounin," _Aika half-snarled and half-sobbed before she clasped her teacher's body and disappeared.

Shikamaru was left standing in the Forbidden Forest, the surrounding area splattered with sticky red substance. He lifted his face to the open sky.

A small, weary sigh was heard. Shikamaru surveyed the damage done to the Forest around him; the black ashes and the smoke rising from the ground, and dragged a hand down his face. _My mission is over. I'm going home._

* * *

><p>Ew, ew I hate writing fight scenes. What a comeback.<p>

Does Aika's ability make sense? If not, tell me and I'll attempt to explain it to you. Basically, it's like the Hyuuga clan's Juuken technique (Gentle Fist) but instead of closing the tenketsu (chakra points) Aika can burn her opponents with nothing but a touch.

_Hiken_ = Fire Fist

Just like:

_Juuken _= Gentle Fist

Obviously, with this fic set like twelve years or so into the future, Shikamaru would have improved and have created his own, unique jutsu. _Kage no Tate_, or Shadow Shield, is just an example of that. I made it up; it's mine.

Yes, I know what I'm doing. This isn't the end, but a prelude for things to come. I know some people wanted some Kako time, perhaps to get to know her a little better, but this is the way things will go. Sometimes, though we are aware that characters have other sides to them, circumstances dictate that the reader will never see them and will only be left to wonder and look between the lines. But honestly, wasn't that the biggest let down for the death of a main antagonist? Yeah, no, just wait a bit for future chapters.

Also, can someone _please _spazz with me over _Shingeki no Kyojin_'s sound track? I wrote an snk oneshot earlier but no one seemed to share my enthusiasm over the music so I'm hoping that someone here will. PLEASE IT'S GORGEOUS AND I CAN'T HANDLE MY FEELS.

Updated: 20 October 2013


	12. Red

In case you've forgotten:

Fujiwara Goro (male), Sarutobi Takara (female), Hyuuga Hibiki (male)–Shikamaru's students, members of Team Six; all age thirteen

Nara Hotaka–Shikamaru and Temari's son; age twelve

Nara Michiko–Shikamaru and Temari's daughter; age ten

Miura Masato–missing-nin; age 17

Quite a lot happens in this chapter, so stay alert, please.

Thank you to Chapter Eleven's reviewers: reven228, Hodgehed, Mon esprit Libre, moonlightrurouni, MadDogMatt13, ultima-owner, TrenchcoatMan, Thenuka.

This chapter was written like ten months ago as well so I don't like it because my writing style as changed, but like the lazy dipshit that I am I have no motivation to rewrite it. Furthermore, I apologise for the crappy formatting (meaning there aren't any break lines) but I can't edit my documents now when I upload them? Is this just me or is it an failure on the upgrade, as this site is so wont to do.

And I'm officially a high school graduate. Now I'm in the weird stage where I'm out of high school but I'm not in university yet, so I'm like this little ghost flitting around hahahahahaha...

Chapter Twelve: Red

* * *

><p>"Why didn't you kill her students?" Dumbledore asked sharply.<p>

"They are not in Bingo Book, nor were they in mission details," Shikamaru said flatly. "Not my responsibility."

He had gone up to the castle, just wanting to tell Dumbledore that Kako was no longer alive and that he would be leaving. But unfortunately Shikamaru wasn't quick enough to jump out of Dumbledore's window before the questions started.

"What if her students try to take revenge on Hogwarts?" Dumbledore asked. His tone was carefully smooth and betrayed nothing of his inner feelings. He sat behind his desk, the late afternoon sun streaming into the room. The little silver instruments that Shikamaru _really _wanted to smash into pieces were tinkling away, irritating his hearing and distracting him from the issue at hand.

"No," Shikamaru said. He thought back to Kako's last words. "If take revenge, take revenge on me and Konoha, not some magic school."

Dumbledore didn't answer, and Shikamaru suddenly understood.

"Do not long for vengeance for your students," Shikamaru said quietly, the images of the four dead kids appearing in his mind's inner eye. "It is not the right way to go."

Dumbledore looked away, and Shikamaru sighed. "I leave now."

"Very well," Dumbledore said, after a moment's pause. He leaned back on his chair. "Go, and I hope to never see you again."

"Likewise," Shikamaru retorted.

* * *

><p><span>Dear Harry, Ron and Hermione,<span>

It's been nice knowing you. Chances are we'll never meet again. Good luck in life, no matter how troublesome it can become.

Nara Shikamaru

The note was left on the pillow belonging to a boy with a scar on his forehead, a student of Hogwarts and a member of Gryffindor house.

* * *

><p>"How in the bloody hell did you get here?" Sirius asked in amazement. Shikamaru stood in the doorway of number twelve, a tad sheepish and happy to see his friend again.<p>

Shikamaru gave him a smile that was more of a grimace and said, "Dumb-rr-dor-san helped me."

He stepped into the creaky house of Grimmauld Place, and looked around. "Place hasn't changed much."

Sirius shrugged. "Yeah. Nothing has. You've only been gone two weeks, anyway."

After Shikamaru had written his note to Harry, he had gone back to Dumbledore–who looked more than a little pissed to see him again–and requested that he send him back to Grimmauld Place.

"My ticket home is here," Shikamaru said, catching the question in his friend's face. "But also want to see you again."

Sirius' eyes crinkled at the corners. "Missed you too, buddy."

The pair walked along the empty hallway, their feet making almost no noise in the silent house.

"You want a drink?" Sirius asked. Shikamaru glimpsed a pair of crinkly heels disappearing up the staircase. They probably belonged to Kreacher.

"Okay," Shikamaru said. He sat down at the kitchen table, noting the way that there didn't seem to be a speck of dust anywhere.

"Your English has improved yet again," Sirius said cheerfully.

"Hmph. You expect me to stay bad forever?" Shikamaru asked in mock annoyance. Sirius merely shrugged and smiled.

"Did you finish your mission?" Sirius asked. Shikamaru nodded.

"Mm. Kako is dead," Shikamaru said. Sirius studied him carefully.

"Was the fight hard?" he asked softly. Shikamaru placed his cup down and folded his arms.

"Nothing I couldn't handle," Shikamaru said dismissively.

"You should get those wounds treated," Sirius said. Shikamaru frowned, having forgotten about the injuries.

"Fine," Shikamaru said, waving his concern away.

"That burn looks bad," Sirius countered. He eyed the slash near Shikamaru's jaw line, and the only visible burn in the shape of a handprint on his wrist. Shikamaru had hoped that the fishnets there would somehow cover it up. Too bad Sirius was perceptive.

"I clean up in Konoha," Shikamaru said. "Have better medicine there."

Sirius pursed his lips but let the matter drop.

The pair sat in the kitchen for three hours, talking, laughing, cracking jokes, and doing what friends did. The day turned into evening, and Shikamaru glanced at the sun with an apologetic look on his face.

"Five o'clock," Shikamaru said. "I have to go."

Sirius groaned and made a face like a kid who couldn't get candy. "Seriously? You old bastard."

"You're older than me," Shikamaru pointed out. He got to his feet and stretched. _"Kuso. _I getting out of shape."

"Where do you have to go, anyway?" Sirius asked curiously.

"Remember the day when we went out for walk?" Shikamaru asked.

_Once, when passing an alleyway, Shikamaru spotted something that made his life a bit more bearable._

_A shiny, metallic silver rock protruded from the wall of the alleyway. It was about the size of a fist, but engraved on the rock were the characters:_

_THREE-QUARTERS_

_Shikamaru knew that it was connected to the rock that had sent him here, and was comforted by the fact that if anything went wrong, he always knew where to go if he wanted to go home. This rock would send him back to the Hidden Continents. He knew it._

_Sirius gave him a perplexed whine, and Shikamaru grinned at his friend, but didn't say anything. The pair headed back, darkness enveloping them in its warm embrace. The street lights had flickered on, illuminating the night._

"Ah," Sirius said, understanding dawning. "I see. I'll come with you."

"Okay," Shikamaru said, grateful for the extra company. "Thank you."

* * *

><p>The walk to the rock took less time than Shikamaru remembered, and before long, they stood in front of the same alleyway they had found a month ago. The metallic rock that jutted out from the wall now glimmered innocently in the moonlight.<p>

THREE-QUARTERS

"Hasn't changed," Shikamaru murmured. He glanced down at the large black dog at his heels and gave him a pat.

Sirius whined and licked Shikamaru's face. The jounin recoiled, yelping.

"Disgusting," Shikamaru said, glaring at the dog. "You realise you just give me equivalent of kiss?"

Sirius made the odd coughing sound that showed the world that he was laughing. Shikamaru shook his head forlornly.

"Stupid mutt," Shikamaru said quietly. He grinned at the dog and ruffled his head. "This is goodbye, yeah? Thanks for all your help, Si-lius-sempai."

The dog whined and stepped back.

Shikamaru went up to the rock and placed a hand on it. Like before, he could feel a strange pulse within it, as if the rock was alive. Taking a deep breath, Shikamaru let his chakra flare, and the rock immediately started sucking at it. His chakra flowed, turning white as it went.

He dimly heard Sirius bark in surprise when his body started to fade, and when the rock had taken three-quarters of his chakra, Shikamaru managed to smile faintly at the dog before his world turned black, as if his eyes had been dipped in ink.

* * *

><p>"Japanese."<p>

_Thoughts/emphasis_

* * *

><p><em>Kami… why is the world spinning? This is worse than Floo powder.<em>

Cracking an eyelid open, Shikamaru was conscious of the fact that his cheek was pressing against some _really _comfortable grass and that a root was leaning against his stomach.

Then the situation caught up with Shikamaru and he was suddenly wide awake. He flipped to his feet, happiness bubbling within his stomach.

_Konoha._

He recognised this forest. This was the very forest that surrounded his beloved village. He was close. He was so, so close.

_Yes, thank you, Rock-sama! Thank you for depositing me near my village! _Shikamaru shouted in his mind joyfully. All thoughts of Sirius and the wizarding world in general flew out of his mind.

He adjusted the pack on his back, and, pumping chakra into his legs, shot off towards the direction of home.

As the green thinned, Shikamaru's heartbeat quickened as he spotted the village gates that towered over everything but the tallest trees.

He slowed to a stop when he was about a hundred metres from the entrance, and as he walked through the massive doors, he greeted Kotetsu and Izumo amiably.

"Welcome back, Shikamaru-kun," Kotetsu said merrily as Izumo waved. "Nice to have you back. Chouji-kun's just returned from his mission as well."

"Thanks," Shikamaru said.

His village was the same as ever. The kids ran around, the adults gossiped, the restaurants were filled with laughter and the shinobi were–

"SHIKAMARU!"

Something slammed into him and _choked _him. Gasping for breath, Shikamaru could only see the top of a blonde head and purple clothes.

"Whoa, Ino, calm down," Shikamaru said. His friend released him with a huge smile on her face, which quickly turned stern when she noticed the injuries.

"What happened?" Ino demanded. "Was your mission really this hard? Was the missing-nin strong? Did–?"

"It's okay," Shikamaru interrupted her. He took in the way Ino stood, as if she was favouring her right leg, and her face, which had a slight bruise on her chin.

"What happened to you?" Shikamaru asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Forehead beat me up in training," Ino said, flapping a careless hand.

"I'm sure you returned the favour," Shikamaru grinned. Ino smirked at him.

"Yo, Shikamaru!" shouted a voice.

"Kiba," Shikamaru greeted his friend. The Inuzuka went over to him and clapped Shikamaru on the shoulder before stepping back.

"Welcome home," Kiba said, showing his sharp teeth. Kiba looked to be in the middle of something, if the mud on his trousers were of any indication. Akamaru hovered by his side, and Shikamaru patted his head as the white canine barked.

_Like Sirius, _Shikamaru thought. _I really want to–_

His thoughts paused when he noticed the way Ino and Kiba glanced uncomfortably at each other. "What's wrong?" Shikamaru asked suspiciously. Ino flinched, as if she had been electrocuted. Kiba attempted to smile at him.

"Uh… there's… probably something you should know before you go back… home," Ino said, keeping her voice calm while she wrung her hands nervously in front of her.

Shikamaru sighed and said, "Spit it out. What happened?"

Ino opened her mouth, but Kiba said in a rush, "Temari's back."

Shikamaru's mouth dropped open and he gaped at his two friends in shock. And then, as if on cue, a familiar chakra flared. It was coming in Shikamaru's direction.

"Oh, look, she's here," Ino said awkwardly, looking over her shoulder to where a certain Suna kunoichi was walking. "Kiba and I have something to do. So–so we'll see you around!"

Ino grabbed Kiba's hand, and the two of them shot off with Akamaru close at their heels.

As for Shikamaru… he was staring at the woman at the nearby dango stall. Temari hadn't noticed him yet, but he watched as she frowned, her head flicking around, before her eyes–her beautiful teal eyes–snapped up towards his. And time stilled for a moment.

Temari looked the same as ever. Her sandy blonde hair pulled into its four pigtails. She was dressed her shinobi clothes, her giant iron fan strapped across her back. At her side was Hotaka, their son. Hotaka had noticed his father too, but his welcoming smile was worried as his gaze flickered between his parents.

"Shikamaru," Temari said, her lips barely moving. The distance between them was small, small enough that they could hear each other clearly. Hotaka swallowed. "You're back."

"I'm back," Shikamaru confirmed quietly. "And so are you, I see."

Temari's eyebrows trekked downwards. Her lips curled. "Yes. You left our kids alone while you hopped off on a mission. How… responsible."

Shikamaru had been planning to stay polite and civil with her, but Temari's words ignited a furious blaze within him. "I beg your pardon, but I left them with a respectful adult. And, please remind me, my memory is fuzzy, but who was the one who left _us_ for a month while she sulked in Suna?" His tone was icy, his hands clenched.

Temari looked as if she was restraining herself from hitting him. Shikamaru jerked his chin up, and that one little action made Temari's chakra blaze like hell.

"Mum," Hotaka whispered. "Dad. Don't get angry, please. Don't fight here."

With a 'tch', Temari attempted to regain control over her emotions. "Don't you–" Temari began, but as her lips formed the third word, something stopped her.

Killing intent.

Suddenly, without warning, without so much as a change in atmosphere, a killing intent swelled. It made every shinobi in the area freeze, their eyes wide and staring. Shikamaru's head whipped to his right.

_Enemy._

_Enemy shinobi in the village._

_Protect the village._

_Protect the citizens._

_Erase the threat._

_Now!_

"Enemy," Shikamaru whispered. Temari barely nodded, and in the next second, they were in action, sprinting towards the source. This may not be Temari's birthplace, but she had come to love Konoha like second home. Everyone had cracked out of their horror, and the marketplace was filled with running people, yelling, terrified, shocked at the intrusion.

"Hotaka! Go straight home!" Temari shouted behind her. Shikamaru saw him nod, and Hotaka turned and raced towards their apartment.

There were a few ANBU darting around, shouting orders, telling non-combatants to go into their houses, telling the storeowners to abandon service and stay down.

"Where is it coming from?" Temari asked tersely. In the light of this change of events, their quarrel was long-forgotten. They had more important things to worry about.

"I'm not–" Shikamaru began, but then he pinpointed the origin.

"Shikamaru?"

"Oh no," Shikamaru said, unconsciously stopping to a halt. "No, no, no, no."

"Shikamaru?" Temari said questioningly, but Shikamaru's mind was far, far away.

_You will regret not killing me, jounin._

He was certain.

They were in his village. They were targeting his loved ones.

"My students," Shikamaru said, his voice barely audible. "Our kids. Get to them! They're going to kill them!"

Temari didn't try to interpret his orders, but merely leapt away, leaving him with a murmur of, "Be careful."

_Who's house first? Oh shit… the killing intent is coming from there. Shit, shit, shit._

Shikamaru changed direction and headed towards his parents' place.

_Come on, let me be on time._

* * *

><p>Every time Shikamaru ran, he was always too late.<p>

There was a feeling in his gut… there was a dread in his heart that he ignored, focusing instead on blind, useless hope.

But that hope would always crumble down around him, crushing him, suffocating him like a boa constrictor.

When Shikamaru finally located the chakra signature in a house, his desperation grew.

_Why couldn't I have been wrong?_

It was indeed his parents' house.

No.

Not them.

Shikamaru didn't bother hiding his flared chakra. He didn't bother with being quiet. All he was aware of was the sense of panic and horror and fear.

His old home came into view: a small, modest building, big enough for a family of three to live in comfortably. The front garden was small, but it held an ancient apple tree that still bore fresh, delicious fruit. The front gate, rusty of age and in need of replacing, swung open, creaking heavily, as if it were mocking him. The front door hung ajar, and Shikamaru was now terrified. Terrified of what he would find inside. Terrified of what he would be forced to see.

His mother, Yoshino, wasn't home. Her chakra was absent. Either she was away, or… Shikamaru didn't want to think of the alternative. But Shikaku's signature was still glowing, and Shikamaru felt another, more sinister chakra from within.

Shikamaru reached the door and stumbled inside.

The scene he saw made his breath stop for a second, and his vision turned red. His childhood home. All the memories. Drenched in scarlet.

The first thing he saw was blood. Like always, he had stumbled upon a scene of death.

The dark liquid stained the wooden walls and the tatami mats that lay on the ground. The low table was overturned, broken in half, the pieces scattered. Bowls and chopsticks were rolling around everywhere, sullied red and turning brown.

But what made Shikamaru's blood boil was the sight at the back of the room. The missing-nin Masato stood there, glaring down distastefully at the man whom Shikamaru had looked up to all his life.

Nara Shikaku had a katana stabbed through his chest. Masato grinned at the younger Nara, his eyes gleeful as he extracted his revenge.

Masato, the student of Ohayashi Kako.

Masato, the one with the long black dreadlocks and the cold smile.

Masato, the one who was trying to kill Shikaku.

His father.

His supporter.

His mentor.

_You killed my teacher, and now I will kill yours._

Shikaku's eyes were closed and his chakra was fading away steadily.

With a yell that sounded deranged and hysterical, Shikamaru launched himself towards the missing-nin, his fingers closed around Masato's neck, and all his hate and fury boiled down into that one single act. He smashed Masato against the wall and the boy slid down to the ground, unmoving.

As Shikamaru staggered to regain his balance, his breathing erratic and sharp, his vision–his red, red vision–sent chilling thoughts to his brain. The bloodlust was overwhelming and when he saw Masato's hand twitch, all rationality flew out of his head.

The beast inside him roared and shrieked its hunger. It wanted blood, and right then, Shikamaru wasn't going to deny it.

Why couldn't Masato _just die?_

Shikamaru plunged a hand into his weapons holster and drew out a kunai. He advanced towards Masato, who looked up at him feebly. Shikamaru dragged him into a sitting position by his collar, and he was enraged to see that the boy was _smiling_.

"You will suffer as I did," Masato whispered. His teeth were painted crimson.

The kunai disappeared into Masato's stomach, and _still _he smiled. He smiled–_the fucking brat!_–and Shikamaru stabbed him again–and again–and again–until the jounin realised that the kunai was slick in his grasp.

Dimly, at the back of his half-crazed mind, Shikamaru acknowledged the fact that Masato had stopped breathing. He was already dead. Shikamaru was stabbing nothing but a corpse.

Finally, his arms grew weak, and as he came to his senses, Shikamaru stopped, the kunai slipping from his bloody fingers, and he stared dully at Masato's mutilated body. His red hands came up to claw at his face, leaving trails on his cheeks. His head turned, and the Nara crawled to where his father lay. He didn't know how long it had been since his father had been knifed. He lifted his fingers to the man's neck.

Pulse.

There was a pulse.

Tears splashed onto the ground as Shikamaru's body shook with relieved sobs.

* * *

><p>"SAKURA!"<p>

The pink-haired kunoichi looked up, startled, when someone bellowed her name.

"Shi-Shikamaru!" Sakura gasped. The man was covered in blood… so much blood. He looked wild and insane, but most of all, he looked desperate. The nurses around tried to calm him down, but Shikamaru ignored them and only went for Sakura.

"Heal him," Shikamaru said. Was he crying? "Heal him, Sakura. Please."

Sakura's eyes shot towards the man whom Shikamaru carried on his shoulder.

Shikaku.

A few seconds passed in shock, and then Sakura snapped into medic-nin mode.

"Get the surgery room ready!" Sakura shouted to the healers around her. "I'll be starting in five minutes. Hurry!"

Shikamaru placed his father on a stretcher that had appeared out of nowhere. Sakura's green eyes were narrowed as she assessed the damage, her gaze drawn to the short katana that still stuck out of Shikaku's chest.

"He'll likely lose a lung, and that'll trouble his breathing," Sakura said. Shikamaru only stared at her. "Honestly, it doesn't look good. There's only a five percent chance of survival, from what I can tell. We'll see, Shikamaru."

Her tone was calm and even. Her job as a medic-nin was to give the most information as truthfully as possible. Even though Shikamaru was an old friend, he was no exception.

As Sakura swept out of sight with his father in her care, Shikamaru felt everything crash onto his shoulders all at once. The energy seemed to drain out of his body, and he was just about to black out when he heard a muffled gasp.

* * *

><p>Temari tried to draw breath as she saw Shikamaru standing in the sterile white hospital room with the wide-eyed patients all around him. She saw Shikamaru hand someone–was that Shikaku?–over to Sakura. She saw blood splattered on his face, saw it seeping into his clothes. Shikamaru turned his eyes in her direction.<p>

And she understood.

"Temari," Shikamaru whispered. Temari tried not to wince at how hollow he sounded. All angry thoughts about her husband flew out of her head when he spoke. His lips were white. "Temari… Dad's not… Dad won't…"

Temari had felt Shikamaru's chakra dashing towards the hospital, and with her heart in her mouth, she had followed, praying that he wasn't hurt. But she hadn't expect _this_. She hadn't expected _Shikaku _to be hurt.

Temari's surroundings faded and blurred. She moved forwards towards the man, and when she was close enough to touch him, Shikamaru's body shuddered and he swayed. Then, he collapsed onto his knees. The clear despair on Shikamaru's face almost sent Temari into tears, but she held strong.

"Shikamaru," she said gently, quietly. She knelt by his side and ignored the shocked murmurs of the people around her. She spotted, through the sea of legs, a nurse hurrying towards them. She shook her head to make the woman go away.

"Temari…" Shikamaru said. His voice was a broken murmur.

"It's okay," Temari said. "It's okay."

She drew Shikamaru into a hug, and she felt the man wrap his arms around her.

"Dad's hurt," he choked out. "Dad's hurt and he might not even live… it's all my fault, Temari. It's all my fault."

He buried his head into her shoulder, and Temari clutched him tighter.

"It's okay," she said, struggling to stay calm. She tried to let him know that she was _there_, that she wasn't going to leave him. "It's okay."

She ignored the way Shikamaru dirtied her clothes, ignored the way the blood penetrated her nose. Shikamaru needed her, and she wasn't going to fail him.

"All my fault… let them go… let them go and now they've almost killed him…"

Temari let her husband blabber. She let him pour the words out as she held him closer, embracing him.

"It's okay," Temari said, even though she knew that the words were nothing but lies.

* * *

><p>After what seemed like an age, the hospital receptionist had told them that they needed to leave. Her tone was kind.<p>

"We'll go," Temari said. "Thank you."

She struggled up, tugging Shikamaru with her. The people–Temari wished they would stop staring–parted to let them through.

"Come on, Shikamaru, let's go home," Temari said. She nudged him along, and Shikamaru came, his movements robotic and stiff.

"My mother," Shikamaru murmured. "I have to check if she's okay."

"I saw Yoshino at the market," Temari said. "She'll be fine."

"I have to get to her–have to tell her–have to protect her–"

"It's okay. Last I saw, Kiba was with her."

Thankfully, the hospital wasn't far from their place, and when they met their friends on the street, Temari had given them warning looks and they left the pair alone. Ino and Chouji in particular appeared anxious as they stood in front of a tea shop, and Temari could feel Naruto watching them from the Hokage Tower, which overlooked most of Konoha.

Getting up the stairs to their apartment was slow, but Temari was patient with him. Giving him calm words of encouragement and always keeping her hand in his, she led him up.

The door opened before Temari could reach it, and her heart ached when she saw the bright, excited eyes of her two children.

"Dad!" Michiko, her daughter, shouted in delight. Hotaka was more observant, and his initial joy at seeing his father's return faded when he saw the state that the man was in. Sending his mother a look, he clapped a hand over Michiko's mouth and pushed her away. Shikamaru merely stared at the ground.

"Dad's not feeling well," Temari heard him say to his sister, and though Michiko whined, she allowed herself to be taken to her room. Temari inwardly thanked her son for being so understanding.

"Come on, Shikamaru," Temari said. "Go take a bath."

She pursed her lips together when she saw the faint trail of blood that Shikamaru had left behind. Knowing that Hotaka was wise enough to clean it up, she didn't give it much thought.

Shikamaru went into the bathroom like a zombie, and Temari waited outside. She heard silence for a long time, before the sound of water filled the quiet. Then, scrubbing noises.

Temari bit her lip when she _heard _the desperation. She could hear it as clearly as if she could see it.

"Shikamaru."

The door opened, and Temari's expression didn't change when she saw Shikamaru scouring the skin on his arms with a frantic look on his face. It was as if he was trying to rub away all the filthiness, all the taint, all the _guilt _away. He was still in his clothes, but he had pushed his sleeves up to scrub.

"Let me," Temari said, her quiet voice echoing slightly around the bathroom. She took the sponge from his hands, and Shikamaru released it without resistance. He dropped his arms back down to his sides.

Temari took to bathing him herself.

There was nothing sexual in the act. It was one of care and dedication.

After closing the door of the bathroom, Temari unzipped Shikamaru's sandals and tossed them in the corner. Then, she took off his flak jacket, his black shirt and the fishnets on his wrist. She said nothing when she saw the burn marks on his bare chest and his shoulder, but continued to undress him, taking his pants off afterwards, and finally releasing his hair from the ponytail.

"Come on," Temari murmured. They had a small bathtub, which Temari filled with hot water, and Shikamaru sank into it a few minutes later. The water immediately turned pink. Steam rose, partly obscuring her view of the Nara, and Temari picked up the sponge, which she had set down a few minutes ago.

Dousing it, Temari lifted the sponge and wiped Shikamaru's face. The blood was gone in an instant, and Shikamaru closed his eyes at her touch. There was a faint bruise on his cheekbone and a cut along his jaw line. His eyes were lined with bags, and his bottom lip was split.

Temari cleaned under his nails, his fingers, his hands, running the sponge along his arms, in which the tense, sinewy muscles started to relax. She washed his neck and his back, dabbing his burn marks briefly before lifting his strong legs from the water and rinsed them as well.

The water was now almost red.

Temari helped him out of the water when she was done, and took him to the shower, where she washed all the mucky water away. She washed his hair, clearing it of mud and grime, and the smell of shampoo filled the air.

Working diligently, Temari kept the bubbly foam from reaching Shikamaru's eyes, and after she was sure every bit of his black hair was covered, began to wash it away.

Shikamaru had made no noise at all as Temari had bathed him. No sound was uttered when she nudged his injuries. Throughout the whole exchange, his eyes had been trained on her face, but Temari had merely gone on with her work, meeting his gaze a few times before continuing on. She did not attempt to smile at him; that would tell him that everything would be alright, and she knew that everything was far from alright.

Now Temari began the processing of drying him. She pressed the towel against his skin and let the fabric soak up the water. Droplets streamed from Shikamaru's hair, and she dried that as well before lifting the pile of new clothes from the rack.

She put on the undergarments and then the pants, but instead of putting his shirt on, Temari unlocked the bathroom and took him out to the living room.

"Hotaka," she said. It was the first word she had said in an hour. Her son appeared, holding a medical box in his hands. She saw the way his eyes–so much like his father's–pinpointed the wounds, and they narrowed.

Shikamaru sat down on the couch, his back slouched and his eyes monotonous. Temari opened the box and took out some cream. She rubbed it into the burn injuries, and then taped some large bandages onto them. Running her finger lightly along the cut on his face, she disinfected it and bandaged it up as well.

Then, she covered Shikamaru's upper body with a loose black singlet, and in that one final act, all the remaining tension in Shikamaru's body seemed to drain away, and the man slumped down against the cushions. Hotaka took his mother's damp hands and said quietly, "Mum, you should go take a shower as well."

Temari made a small sound and realised that he was right. Her clothes were spotted with darkened substance that came from Shikamaru's previous clothes.

"Alright," she said in the near silence. "Take care of him, alright?"

"I'll be right here," Hotaka promised. He sat next to Shikamaru, whose eyes were closed.

Temari went unhurriedly back to the bathroom. She stood in the doorway, taking in the mess, before sighing and moving towards the pile of matted red clothes in the corner. She gathered them up, hooking the sandals with her fingers and walked out again. She dumped them in the laundry, and then went back to the bathroom again.

There, she closed the door, and then slumped down to the tiled floor. She buried her face in her palms and tried not to scream. She tried not to scream, because this time, she didn't know what to do.

She didn't know _what _to do with the man who was sitting in the living room. Though she had comforted Shikamaru on all the other missions where he had lost teammates, she knew that the near-death of his father would be the biggest blow to him.

He wouldn't forgive himself.

She knew what guilt did to shinobi, and hoped that Shikamaru had enough resolve to pull through.

* * *

><p>When she mustered enough strength to leave the bathroom (she had dithered slightly after her shower) and back to where Shikamaru sat, she saw Michiko sitting next to her father with a composed look on her face. It was a strange expression on such a young girl, but Temari knew that despite her age, despite her childish personality, Michiko was quite mature when need be. She sat, not touching Shikamaru, but merely gave him comfort by the fact that she was <em>there.<em>

Hotaka was the same; he sat near Shikamaru's feet, staring out the window, but turned when Temari entered the room. He nodded, to show that nothing had happened, then looked away again.

It was a silent family gathering. No one said a word, no one touched each other, but their presence was enough for Shikamaru to open his eyes and look upon his children with a small flicker of tenderness in his eyes. But then, he looked up to Temari, and his expression dropped.

Shikamaru did not cry. He did not feel any lump in his throat. He only felt as if someone had ripped a hole in his heart, and he was watching the bleeding pieces fall to the ground in front of him.

"_He'll likely lose a lung, and that'll trouble his breathing," Sakura said. Shikamaru only stared at her. "I can't see any other life-altering injuries on him, but we'll see."_

Shikaku would live out the rest of his life feeling useless and in the way. There was nothing more a ninja hated. To feel like baggage was an insult and a fate that one would resent forever. He wouldn't be able to take heavy missions, as no one knew when his remaining lung would start to stress.

_Nara Shikamaru. I curse you. May you suffer a thousand deaths, filled with pain and agony. I curse you, Nara Shikamaru._

* * *

><p>The bath scene, as stated in the text, was not supposed to be sexual at all. I was trying to show the care that Temari gives Shikamaru in a more different kind of way. I also did kinda take the scene from <em>Requiem of Silence <em>by Raziel12, so credit goes to him/her as well.

Shikamaru acted like a crazed animal in this chapter. Yes, that was on purpose. No, I don't think it is OOC. I think the reaction is reasonable. Plus, it will link to something else that's coming soon.

The villagers panicked as well when the killer intent appeared, because I think that even if they are civilians, they live in a shinobi village, and so they _can_, to a certain degree, sense chakra (or at least determine whether it is friendly or dangerous), and killer intent is mixed in with chakra.

Moving on… this site keeps evolving and ermagerd I can't keep up. Like now my Stories list and my Favourites and ugh the icons are circular now?

Updated: 26 November 2013


	13. Full Circle

Hello everyone. I hope you've all had a good 2014 so far.

This chapter has a lot of references to things that have previously been revealed. However, because I know I haven't updated for a while and thus all recollection of past events have probably fled your mind, I've tried my best to prompt you within the writing.

Thank you to the reviewers who were kind and reviewed the previous chapter despite my huge absence.

Explanations to how Masato entered the village will not be in this chapter, but in later ones.

Chapter Thirteen: Full Circle

* * *

><p>"Shikaku has lost his right lung, so his breathing will be troubled. Along with the stab wound, the missing-nin that attacked him seemed to rearrange his lung position, moving it to the left and twisting it slightly. However, we were able to remove it without too much difficulty, and it has not drastically affected any other organs. He has a concussion and may be irritable and easily upset. The estimated recovery time for his concussion is about two or three weeks."<p>

Sakura glanced upwards as a slight breeze shifted the papers in her hands. Shikamaru, who had previously been standing in front of her, bowed down and looking very, very tired, had swept out, presumably to visit his father. Sakura sighed at the empty room and pinched the bridge of her nose. She never liked delivering bad news, watching faces fall, watching tears roll. But she had gotten used to it, though this time it had seemed worse than usual.

* * *

><p>"Shikamaru?"<p>

The man stopped when he saw his mother, Yoshino, turn to face him as he opened the door. She was sitting in a thin plastic chair next to the hospital bed. A vase of brightly coloured flowers sat on the table, and Shikamaru wondered idly who had sent it.

His father cocked his head when Shikamaru drew near. A thin scar ran along his jawline and his cheeks were hollow, as if life had been sucked out of them.

Yoshino stood up, eyes glassy and lips drawn together tightly. She embraced Shikamaru, letting out a pained sigh as she did so. As he hugged her back, he wondered when his mother had become so thin. Her eyes were more wrinkled and she was frailer than he remembered. What had happened to the intimidating woman who screamed his ears off every single day? The one who was practical and commanding and loud?

"Shikamaru," Shikaku said. He gave his son a wan smile.

Shikamaru swallowed. "Hey," he said quietly, "how are you feeling?"

His father shrugged. "Better. Still hurts here and there, but I'm alive, yeah?"

Shikaku was dressed in a white hospital gown. The two slashes on his face stood out against his pale skin, ugly and red. Shikamaru didn't like this. He didn't like his father looking like a sick, almost-dying man. Nara Shikaku was supposed to be strong, stern, and up fighting. He wasn't supposed to look like _this_.

"That damn missing-nin targeted my leg," Shikaku said. He hand moved towards his right thigh, where, ten years previously, the muscles had been slashed to pieces during a mission. As a result, his movements were limited, and the leg ached every once in a while.

"Dad," Shikamaru said softly, interrupting what he was next going to say, "I need to explain something to you."

Shikaku paused, mouth hard, and Shikamaru had the strangest feeling that his father already knew what he had come to say. His intense brown eyes settled on Shikamaru's face.

"Very well," Shikaku nodded. "Your mother and I are listening."

Shikamaru put on hand on Yoshino's shoulder and took a deep breath. "The reason this happened to you is my fault."

And so, with his parents staring at him, Shikamaru began his story.

* * *

><p>The room was filled with a heavy, heavy silence. It was unbearable, but Shikamaru let the weight of it settle onto his shoulders. He did not break the silence. Yoshino was staring at him in shock, while Shikaku had turned away.<p>

_This is my burden to bear, _Shikamaru thought. _No matter how you look at it, Dad's current state is because of me. _

Finally, Shikaku spoke.

"Son…" he said quietly. Shikamaru's throat clenched.

"I'm sorry, Dad," Shikamaru whispered. His voice couldn't seem to get any louder than that. "I'm so sorry."

Shikaku swung his head back to his only family. "I don't care."

"I'm sorry."

Shikaku's face hardened. His eyes were lowered, and his next words were cool.

"Get out."

Trying so hard to swallow the lump in his throat, Shikamaru got up, bowed deeply to his father, and exited.

* * *

><p>"Shikaku," Yoshino said softly. "Is it alright leaving him like that?"<p>

"The boy doesn't understand," Shikaku said tonelessly. He traced the scars on his face. "I won't accept him until he does."

"Shikamaru isn't a child anymore," Yoshino reminded him gently. Shikaku's eyes met hers, and she detected a sort of fierceness within.

"I know," he said. He laid a hand over hers, and squeezed. "But until he gains my approval on this, he will not be viewed as a man nor a father."

* * *

><p>One week passed, and Shikamaru was brooding. He <em>didn't understand<em>. His genius wasn't working; his brain was half-asleep. And guilt was weighing down on his mind, unable to think of anything other than Shikaku's terrible words. _Get out._

* * *

><p>Shikamaru had a meeting with Naruto to discuss the events of that day. Naruto wanted to know who the missing-nin was and what relation he had to Shikamaru.<p>

The meeting went well, and afterwards, Shikamaru had allowed a Yamanaka-nin to look into his mind and gather up all his memories regarding his latest mission.

* * *

><p>"English."<p>

* * *

><p>Old, bony fingers shivered as the words on the page swam in front of him. Albus Dumbledore gave a tired sigh and rubbed his eyes, taking off his half-moon glasses in the process. It was late afternoon and the sun was irritating him; it was too hot, too annoying.<p>

It had been one week since the Leaf ninja had gone back to his country, leaving behind him a mess of deaths and fear and hatred. Four of Dumbledore's students were dead, and he could not turn his anger on anyone but himself. There had been talk of Hogwarts getting closed down, but after the professors of Hogwarts had stepped in and made up some cock-and-bull story about how the students died, the investigation was halted. Dumbledore was personally not sure whether he wanted Hogwarts to remain open or not. He had failed as its Headmaster, allowed his students to get hurt. He had failed.

He had given the students and teachers one week off. Some still needed to get their wands replaced after that fiasco in which half the school's population had their wands taken, but it was also to let everyone grieve.

The silver instruments were not tinkling away as they should be. Today, they were silent and still, a mark of Dumbledore's sadness. Piles of books towered around Dumbledore's desk, all of them on some subject of magic or another. Fawkes had gone out to a place that Dumbledore didn't bother questioning. The phoenix was a friend, not a pet.

His painful silence was interrupted with a knock on the door. Dumbledore bit back a sigh and called, "Come in."

He didn't expect Cornelius Fudge to enter. He didn't expect him at all.

The Minister for Magic stood awkwardly at the entrance, twirling his bowler hat in his hands. His face was nervous and edgy, lined with age and exhaustion.

"Cornelius," Dumbledore said blankly. He quickly recovered himself. "Come in."

"Ah, Albus. Thank goodness you're here," Fudge said. He did not smile and he did not sit in the offered chair.

"Tell me," Dumbledore said, resting a hand on his desk, "what brings you to Hogwarts?"

Dumbledore expected Fudge to say something about the dead students, or the state of the Forbidden Forest, or _something _about the school itself. But he didn't. Instead–

"I have, er, a confession to make," Fudge said sheepishly. Dumbledore frowned but did not speak. Instead, he lowered his eyes and absent-mindedly unwrapped a sweet before popping it into his mouth. After the silence had stretched long enough for Fudge to become uncomfortable did Dumbledore open his mouth again.

"I hope this is worth my attention," Dumbledore said. "I have some pressing matters to attend to."

Fudge shifted. "Well, it may, you see. Ah, about a month or so ago, I hired a team of ninja to come and… do some work for me."

Dumbledore froze.

"They didn't say their names, but they took the job I offered," Fudge went on, oblivious to Dumbledore's state. "But a week ago, they disappeared."

Dumbledore couldn't breathe. Fudge. Not Fudge. It couldn't be Fudge, the silly old man who did not believe that Voldemort had returned. The bumbling idiot who cared more about popularity than doing his job properly. No, no, no. Not him.

"Now, I paid them a lot of money, Albus," Fudge continued. "They've taken the money and haven't completed their mission. And I was wondering, since you know a lot about other worlds, if you would tell me where the Shinobi Nations are and I could–"

"Why did you hire the team?" Dumbledore asked. His voice was very, very quiet. Fudge blinked and stammered out something unintelligible. Dumbledore felt strangely calm inside, as if his emotions had gone away. "Cornelius, do not test me. Now tell me _why._"

Fudge was pale in the face and he licked his lips before replying. "Now, Albus. I don't think I have to justify myself to–"

"Why. Did. You. Hire. The. Ninja?" Dumbledore snarled, pounding a fist to his desk. His expression was so frightening that Fudge squeaked out his answer before thinking.

"To spy on you and Harry Potter!" he blubbered.

Neither of them spoke for a long, long time.

Dumbledore was not a fool. He had already put the puzzle pieces together.

"You…" Dumbledore said slowly.

"I only told them to impersonate a few students," Fudge said anxiously. "There was no harm done!"

Dumbledore snapped.

"THEY KILLED FOUR OF _MY _PUPILS!" Dumbledore roared. Fudge blinked. As realisation dawn on his face, his mouth slowly opened. His hand had crept to his pocket. "They killed four of _my pupils _and impersonated them for _one whole month_! What in the nine levels of hell were you even _thinking_, Fudge?! They were _missing-nin_!_ They_ kill for a living! They killed. My. Students!"

Sparks flew out of Dumbledore's wand tip. His entire frame was shaking with barely supressed rage.

"K-killed?" Fudge whispered. "I-I don't understand."

"How could you _not _hear of it?" Dumbledore seethed. His voice had lowered to a dangerous quiet. "It was all over the newspapers."

"I-I was away for the past two weeks," Fudge said. His eyes were unfocused. "I barely–"

Dumbledore suddenly felt sick as he looked as the man who was supposed to be the leader of wizarding England. "Get out," Dumbledore said, his shoulders slumping. "Get out and never contact me again."

* * *

><p>"Japanese."<p>

* * *

><p><em>"Ow," Temari groaned. She peered at the wound critically and made a face. "This one is gonna scar real bad."<em>

_Shikamaru smiled slightly. "You wouldn't have gotten it if you hadn't been cocky."_

_"Shut up! He was pissing me off."_

_"Everyone pisses you off, Temari."_

_They were in their apartment; Hotaka and Michiko were at the Academy. Temari had just returned from a mission and Shikamaru, luckily enough, had been home at the time. _

_As Shikamaru bandaged Temari up, she had recounted her tale with amused noises from her husband every once in a while. After the deeds were done, the pair moved to the balcony and stared out at the sprawling village below. For a while, a comfortable and soothing tranquility reigned. _

_"Temari," Shikamaru said softly. _

_"Hm?"_

_Temari's head was resting on Shikamaru's shoulder, her hand entwined with his. _

_"I want to ask something of you."_

_The unusually serious tone of Shikamaru's voice had Temari's eyebrow raised, and she lifted her head up and stared at him._

_"What is it?"_

_Shikamaru took a deep breath. "Temari, stop being a kunoichi."_

_Time halted._

_Temari frowned. "What?"_

_"It's dangerous, being a kunoichi," Shikamaru said quietly. "You risk your life every day. What if, one day, you actually get killed? Hotaka and Michiko won't have a mother to look after them. I won't have a wife."_

_Temari opened and closed her mouth a few times. She didn't know what to say._

_"Just consider it," Shikamaru said. His brown eyes locked into hers. "I want you to be safe."_

_Anger. Bubbling, boiling anger was pooling in her stomach. Temari's eyes narrowed. "Excuse me?"_

_Shikamaru did not answer her. Her anger grew._

_"I don't believe you," she hissed. "How dare you–how could you…"_

_Shikamaru merely held her gaze. Temari was furious._

_"How dare you suggest that?!" Temari shouted. "Do you doubt my competence as a kunoichi? You think my skills aren't good enough for me to survive? You want me to become some silly old housewife who does nothing but shop all day and live out a miserable existence?!"_

_Her voice grew in volume. Shikamaru's expression did not change, and that only made the urge to hit him stronger. _

_"I am a kunoichi of Suna and damn proud of it!" she snarled. "I will not back down and leave the protection of the village to others! My whole fucking family are shinobi, so why should I be any different? Why am I the only one who has to give up shinobi life? What about you, huh? Don't you dare ask me that question again, you bastard!"_

_She slammed her hand to the wall and swept back inside, leaving Shikamaru standing alone on the balcony. His eyes were sad and he did not try to stop her._

_"Where are you going?" he asked._

_"Away from you!"_

_Shikamaru heard Temari pick up her pack and her iron fan. She stormed down the hallway and the door crashed close._

_She did not return for nearly a month, and the day Shikamaru left for the mission to eradicate the missing-nin Ohayashi Kako, Temari appeared again at Konoha's village gates._

* * *

><p>"I never got a chance to apologise," Temari said as they walked through the bustling streets. Shikamaru kept silent beside her; he knew what she meant. "Not for yelling at you; you deserved that."<p>

"Then what?" Shikamaru asked.

"For walking out on you and leaving Hotaka and Michiko alone for a month. It was selfish of me. So, I'm sorry," Temari said.

Shikamaru gave her a half-smile. It did not reach his eyes. "I'm sorry too for requesting you to become a housewife. I wasn't thinking."

"No," Temari said. "You weren't. You were worried."

"That, too."

"But you're going to have to trust me, Shikamaru. I won't die. Not anytime soon. Don't fret."

"You make me sound like an old lady. How troublesome."

Temari laughed. It was low, but clear, and so beautiful to listen to. "You haven't used that word for a long time, Shikamaru. It's nice to hear it, no matter how annoying it becomes."

"Troublesome."

Someone who gave up shinobi life for such a trivial reason risked his or her reputation being ruined. To be a shinobi was to be the face and pride of the village. Though the word 'nin' carried a negative connotation to the people outside of a shinobi village, they were just as important as doctors and lawyers and even the daimyo himself. And so, when Shikamaru had asked Temari to give up being a shinobi, he may as well have asked her to give up her life. There was no greater insult, and no greater offense. Shikamaru should have known that, and yet he loved her enough to say that to her. For that, Temari forgave him.

* * *

><p>Shikamaru had not forgotten his father. It was hard not to, the heavy stone in his chest that pushed him down whenever his thoughts wandered. He lost sleep thinking about his parents and Shikaku's statement.<p>

_"I don't care."_

It was late one night, with Temari sitting at the dining table and Shikamaru leaning against the railing of the veranda, that he finally understood.

Shikamaru had never understood the love of a parent until Hotaka was born. His deep attachment and urge to protect his children far outweighed the importance of his own life. And he realised, but at the same time didn't realise, that Shikaku felt the same way about him.

_"I don't care."_

Shikaku had said that not because he didn't accept Shikamaru's apology, as he had originally thought, but because _he didn't care_. He didn't care that it was Shikamaru's fault that he had lost a lung and could never breathe properly again. He didn't care, because Shikamaru was his son and he would forgive him for whatever he did.

_"I don't care." _

_You are my son, and the only thing that matters is that you're alive._

Shikamaru went to see him the very next morning. He cried, Yoshino cried, and Shikaku simply looked on with a gentle expression on his face.

* * *

><p>"Why am I back here already?" Shikamaru complained. "I was here just two days ago!"<p>

Naruto smiled. "It's good to see you recovering, Shikamaru."

"I suppose I figured that moping around isn't going to help anyone," he shrugged. Naruto could still see shadows under the Nara's eyes.

Once again, they were in the Hokage Tower. This time, Shikamaru looked a lot healthier and he interacted with other people more often than usual as well.

Before Naruto could speak, however, Shikamaru had straightened up and looked at him directly in the eye. "Naruto, I want you to issue me a mission."

Naruto snapped his mouth shut. His eyes closed briefly, and then opened them. "No."

"Why not?" Shikamaru was frowning. His arms were crossed and Naruto noticed that his jounin vest was ruffled.

The blonde sighed and said, "Shikamaru, I summoned you here because I was worried. Well, more specifically, your psych results have been… concerning, of late."

Shikamaru didn't say anything.

Naruto plopped a folder in front of Shikamaru and gestured for him to read it.

NARA SHIKAMARU  
>RANK: JOUNIN<br>AGE: 30  
>CLAN: NARA<p>

Shikamaru opened it and took out the very first piece of paper.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: NARA Shikamaru

Have you ever experienced or been exposed to a traumatic event?

Yes

During the traumatic event, did you experience or witness serious injury or death, or the threat of injury or death?

Yes

During the traumatic event did you feel intense fear, helplessness, and/or horror?

Yes

Do you regularly experience instrusive thoughts or images about the traumatic event?

Yes

Do you sometimes feel like you are re-living the event or that it is happening all over again?

Yes

Do you have recurrent nightmares or distressing dreams about the traumatic event?

Yes

Though there was more, Shikamaru stopped reading there, snorted and tossed it back to Naruto and said, "You know that over half the ninja in this village would answer 'yes' to those questions and they're perfectly fine. Why am I singled out?"

The Hokage sighed deeply. "Shikamaru, have you noticed that your behaviour has changed recently?"

"No," Shikamaru said immediately.

"Are you sure?" Naruto asked, voice very quiet. "Think hard, Shikamaru."

There was a very long pause. Unbidden, different memories sprang into Shikamaru's mind.

* * *

><p><em>Professor McGonagall appeared, brandishing her wand like a fool, her nostrils flared and her eyes sparking with fury.<em>

_"Go away!" Shikamaru shouted, turning towards her. He probably sounded quite rude, but right then and there, he didn't give a flying fuck. "Stay out of this! Dangerous!"_

_"Professor Nara!" the Transfiguration teacher cried. "What–?"_

_"Not. Now," Shikamaru growled. His eyes widened when, as he looked back at the two enemies, they simply gave him contemptuous smiles and–with a little wave from Masato–poofed away in a cloud of smoke._

_Staring at the empty space for a few seconds, the situation caught up with the jounin, and he snarled in rage. He dropped down from the wall and, in order to not punch the teacher in the face, slammed his fist into a bedpost instead._

_I had them! Shikamaru thought ferociously. They were right fucking there!_

_"Professor Nara, please calm–" Professor McGonagall began, but Shikamaru spun towards her and the sight of his face made her stop._

_"Your fault they get away," Shikamaru hissed. He was losing control, and a little voice at the back of his mind told him that this was worrisome. Shikamaru did not get angry often. What was wrong? But then the voice was overridden by the absolute anger he was currently feeling. _

_"Now wait–"_

_"Shut. Up. This is all your fault!"_

* * *

><p>Naruto watched as Shikamaru's face fell like a thrown stone.<p>

"Oh."

* * *

><p><em>As Shikamaru staggered to regain his balance, his breathing erratic and sharp, his vision–his red, red vision–sent chilling thoughts to his brain. The blood lust was overwhelming and when he saw Masato's hand twitch, all rationality flew out of his head. <em>

_The beast inside him roared and shrieked its hunger. It wanted blood, and right then, Shikamaru wasn't going to deny it._

_Why couldn't Masato _just die_?_

* * *

><p>Shikamaru snapped his head up and his eyes met Naruto's. The Hokage stared back at him, and he tried not to flinch at the swirling emotions that he saw. Shikamaru's gaze was faraway, and dawning on his face was terrible realisation that Naruto was right.<p>

* * *

><p><em>Shikamaru had been planning to stay polite and civil with her, but Temari's words ignited a furious blaze within him.<em>

* * *

><p>Shikamaru struggled to regain his composure, but Naruto had known him long enough to look past the façade. "I've gathered all this information from the Yamanaka-nin who looked into your mind yesterday. Along with many other factors–though your strange random fits of anger have been the pivoting point–I've been advised to keep you here, at Konoha, until further notice," Naruto said. "I'm sorry."<p>

* * *

><p>Shikamaru had begun wondering why he was sometimes just so <em>angry<em>. But it hadn't occurred to him that perhaps he was losing control of himself. Perhaps he was beginning to grow mad. He had never considered that option because Shikamaru continuously thought himself to be calm and collected. He was not one to succumb to craziness and villainous ideas. That was what he had always believed.

_"Mad-Eye said it was Post Traumatic Stress Disorder," Sirius said, breathing out deeply._

_"Long name," Shikamaru said. "I pretend I understand." _

"So that's what he was talking about," Shikamaru muttered to himself. "Stupid stretched English name."

Naruto appeared not to have heard what the Nara said. Instead, he continued on in a much gentler tone.

"You're off missions until you can prove to me that you won't lose your head, 'cause we need you to focus, Shikamaru. We all rely on you to be calm while we're going crazy."

* * *

><p>Author's note:<p>

I don't think that Shikaku's forgiveness is too easy. Why? Well, the reasons are already stated. Don't underestimate the love of a parent.

For the confusing geographical thingies of Iwa, Kumo, and Shimo, just look at a map of the _Naruto _world.

A reminder that **in no way am I trying to offend housewives** or anything of the sort. A woman or man can be anything they choose to be in life and still be completely respected. But to Temari, that occupation has never crossed her mind, particularly with her personality and surroundings. To her, it is unthinkable.

Also, Fudge will not get off lightly. He'll return later on. If you'll also remember, Shikamaru was right: back in chapter four, he developed two theories as to why Kako was in Hogwarts. The first was Kako working for Voldemort. The second was Kako working for Fudge.

PTSD questionnaire was taken off of Google. I just needed a general thingy for my purposes.

Updated: 26 January 2014


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